Sakura Kisses
by GlazedAndConfused
Summary: Keitaro. Mutsumi. A conversation between two friends could see the waning of one romance and the blossoming of another. [Chapter 5 Up]
1. Confessions And Kisses

**::: Sakura Kisses :::**

by

_- GlazedAndConfused -_

* * *

**DISCLAIMER**

I wouldn't be writing this if I owned Love Hina.

* * *

"..." - denotes speech.  
"(...)" - denotes whispering.  
_Italics_ denote thoughts and Japanese dialogue.

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**_Chapter One_ :::** _Confessions And Kisses

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__"Kei-_kun_? Meet me under the _sakura_ tree by the old playground."_

These words reverberated throughout Keitaro's head, like a scream in the deepest depths of a dark cave. It was coming close to the time they had both arranged to meet, and the _kanrinin_'s heart was beginning to beat faster with every minute that went past. It was a clear, cool spring evening, with the setting of the sun giving it the cloudless sky a scarlet hue. The calm spring air was a prominent feature in Japan that filled people with a warm and fuzzy feeling that made it hard for anyone to feel sad during this season. Another reason for excitement was that the annual sakura viewing festival was that same day. The town was buzzing with excitement as people prepared for the festival; setting up stalls, finding a good position to watch the fireworks from, and basically just getting ready to have a good time.

_What could Mutsumi-san want to meet me for?_ Keitaro pondered, walking to his intended destination. Mutsumi left no hints as to what she wanted to talk to him about. Was it to do with them two and Naru getting into _Toudai_? A possibility, yes. His feelings for Naru? Well, the way he felt about her was not exactly kept subtle. The promise from fifteen years before? That was just as big a possibility as any; one which was occupying Keitaro's mind the most. It was only the previous Christmas that Keitaro had realised that Mutsumi could well be the girl he made the promise with to get into _Toudai_ all that time ago. Then again, Naru could also be that girl. She had also made a promise fifteen years ago, and the coincidence was that neither of the three can remember who it was they promised.

Before he knew it, he had reached the designated tree where he and Mutsumi were to meet. Noticing that she obviously hadn't arrived yet, he walked over to the swings and sat on one, swinging himself lightly as he waited for Mutsumi to arrive, the spring breeze feeling refreshing against his face.

* * *

Mutsumi was walking down the large stone steps that lead up to Hinata Sou, having finished her shift at Haruka's café. Looking at the sky as she neared the bottom of the steps, she caught a _sakura_ petal that gently floated down. Taking in the fresh fragrance of spring, the beautiful Okinawan woman held the small, delicate flower close to her chest, a wistful smile appearing on her face. She was dressed in an elegant, green _kimono_, embroidered with ruby floral designs up the sides and front. Her chocolate brown hair was tied back in two cute-looking plaits, tied at the top in a plain red ribbon. Tama-_chan_ was perched in a comfortable position on the top of her head.

_Now I have the chance to tell Kei-kun how I feel about him._ Mutsumi thought to herself, the smile on her face widening. _I know how much he likes Naru-san, but it is foolish for him to love someone who seems to hate him._ The cheery smile was now replaced by a slight frown that was tugging on the sides of her mouth, as she remembered the times Keitaro got struck into the lower earth atmosphere by Naru for several misunderstandings; all of which the auburn-haired girl assumed were his 'perverted tendencies'. What she couldn't understand was why the said girl continuously gave him her infamous 'Naru punches' on impulse, rather than just listen to his side of the story first before making her own mind up. What made her feel worse was that Motoko was exactly the same, always being one of the first to send Keitaro flying through the walls and ceilings of Hinata Sou .

Kitsune continuously roping him into 'compromising' situations never helped, either. Neither Naru nor Motoko bothered to ask exactly how her and the hapless _kanrinin_ happened to get into those kind of situations in the first place; they always assumed that Keitaro gave in to his 'perverted urges' and belted him into the stratosphere for his transgressions, while the fox eyed woman sat back and watched in amusement, bottle of _saké_ in hand. The fact that he persistently accepted the blame and did nothing about his constant beatings didn't make her feel better either.

Although Kaolla Su's intentions were less malicious, it still didn't do anything to ease the sadness she felt whenever she saw Keitaro getting hurt. The hyperactive _gaijin_ was naive to the fact that Keitaro could be hurt by any of her inventions when all she wanted to do was 'play'; at the rate she was going, any normal human being would have been killed or seriously injured. The other tenants thought if that was her definition of 'playing', then they definitely did not want to know what her definition of 'seriousness' was.

Mutsumi knew that Shinobu was perhaps the only other person, other than herself, who treated him with dignity and respect. Although she overreacted a lot to any of Kitsune's double entendrés and was sometimes in two minds after Naru and Motoko accused (more like victimised) him of, she knew that the _kanrinin_ was not capable of any of the things Naru and Motoko accused him of. The Okinawan also knew of Shinobu's barely concealed affection for Keitaro. It was so obvious for all to see that there was no point in her trying to hide it for any longer... well, except for Keitaro. It was in that sense that him and Seta were the spitting image of one another, except for the older man being more fearless than his younger student, as probably shown by his fatally poor driving skills.

Lost in her thoughts, it took Mutsumi a few seconds to realise she reached the old playground where her and Keitaro were to meet before she knew it. She saw Keitaro on the swing, the _kanrinin_ obviously unaware of her presence. Smiling fondly, she walked over to him, her dark brown hair fluttering slightly in the breeze.

"Kei-_kun_?" she said, her voice as soft as satin and soothing as lavender.

Keitaro immediately stopped and fell off the swing upon hearing Mutsumi's voice, having not heard her approach him while he was still on the swing. He stood up, dusting himself off.

"Myuh!" Tama-_chan_ greeted, raising a flipper as she hovered off Mutsumi's head and perched herself comfortably on Keitaro's shoulder.

"Ah... _konnichiwa_, Mutsumi-_san_..." He trailed off upon seeing her dressed in her green _kimono_, unable to take his eyes off her even for so much as a second. _Wow, she looks so beautiful..._ he thought.

"Ara... seen something you like?" Mutsumi teased, giggling while placing a hand over her mouth.

Keitaro snapped out of his reverie and put a hand behind his head."Ah! G-_Gomen_..."

Mutsumi took one of his hands in hers, and lead him over to a bench looking towards the playground. "Why don't we sit down?" She cooed, walking over to the bench.

* * *

The sun by now had already set, and the stars were out in the now dark blue sky, making it look as if it were embroidered with silver sequins. The moon looked like a large silver platter in the sky, it's pallid light shimmering down on them both. Keitaro was looking up at the moon, as was his Okinawan counterpart, enthralled by the beauty of it standing alone with the stars.

"Kei-_kun_... it's a beautiful night. Don't you think?" Mutsumi sighed, her eyes not leaving the moon.

"_Hai_."

Keitaro turned his head so he was facing Mutsumi.

"So, Mutsumi-_san_... what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" He asked.

Mutsumi turned to face him, placing one of her hands on both of his.

"I wanted to talk about... us, Kei-_kun_."

Keitaro had a surprised expression on his face.

"Us? What do you mean?"

Mutsumi closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Kei-_kun_... I know how much you like Naru-_san_. I can see that you want to be more than just friends with her; in fact, everybody knows. We've seen the way you look at her, the way you act around her."

Keitaro blushed, finding it hard to look his counterpart in the eye.

"H-_Hai_... I suppose you're right."

She squeezed his hands.

"Yet, think for a moment. How many times has she hurt you for incidents which were not of your fault, and rebuffed you in order to prove her point? How many times has she never let you explain your side of the story before attacking you? Kei-_kun_... she is not the woman for you. She constantly denies her feelings and does not take the time to think about your predicaments before lashing out at you."

Keitaro's expression became downtrodden. There was no denying that Mutsumi was right. While Naru could be an amicable enough person from time to time, she was never the 'sensitive' type. She and Motoko never hesitated to unleash their barrage of attacks on him for even the smallest of accidents, or for just happening to be in the middle of cleaning the outdoor hot spring when they decided to go out for an afternoon bath. She never took Keitaro's feelings into account every time she sent him soaring through the ceilings of Hinata Sou and into the Earth's orbit. The tenants of Hinata Sou knew that he was apparently immortal, but - with the exception of Shinobu - they also thought that his feelings were the same.

"...You're right, Mutsumi-_san_." Keitaro replied after a long, complatative silence.

"Yes, she looks like a nice person on the outside. But looks are only skin deep. She is one of my best friends, but truth must be told." She took a deep breath before continuing. "And I don't think that I can continue watching from the sidelines any longer."

Keitaro's eyes widened. "What are you trying to say... Mutsumi-_san_?"

Mutsumi turned to face him again and looked him straight in the eyes, a mild blush forming on her face. "...I love you, Kei-_kun_." She said in a subdued tone.

Keitaro's eyes widened. "W-W-What?"

Feeling that actions were bigger than words, the Okinawan placed her hand on Keitaro's cheek and slowly leaned in towards him and softly joined her lips with his, startling Keitaro completely. What she did next even surprised herself. She started prodding at Keitaro's lips with her tongue; an action which Keitaro hesitantly replied to, which surprised her even more. Mutsumi could not have asked for a better moment; sharing a passionate kiss under the _sakura_ tree with the man she loves, under the moonlight.

After a few moments, she broke off the kiss hesitantly, keeping her hand on his cheek.

"Kei-_kun_... I've loved you for a long while. Ever since that time in Okinawa with Naru-_san_, when I fainted in the water and you both helped me out. I still remember that kiss I shared with you."

Keitaro blushed as he remembered the kiss himself. It was a clear, starry evening on one of Okinawa's beaches. Mutsumi had just recovered from one of her patented fainting spells. She was laid next to a campfire lit in the middle of the beach. Naru had just gone off with a bottle to get some water, leaving the two alone. Mutsumi, after staring at Keitaro, took his glasses off and slowly leaned in towards the stunned young man, pressing her lips against his. Keitaro's blush deepened as he remembered the feel of her lips against his... and the salty taste of the sand grains that were on her lips at the time...

"...do you accept?" He was jerked out of his flashback by Mutsumi's soft and tender voice. He shook his head violently to clear his mind.

"Gomen, Mutsumi-_san_. I... I was just distracted." His face flushed as he spoke. "What was it you said?"

"Do you accept my love?" Mutsumi replied, her demeanour never losing its gentle nature.

Keitaro was about to reply before stopping to think. It was a difficult decision to make for Keitaro. Two beautiful, smart women; both of whom had quite a few things liked by him about them. His study partners throughout that long and arduous road to get into _Toudai_ for the third time. Yet, this was where the road took two paths, where Mutsumi's good points began to outweigh Naru's bad points. Naru was so short tempered that even the smallest insults would ignite a flame inside her; her belligerent side. She was also very, very obstinate and fairly wayward; she never let Keitaro explain his side of the story whenever he was in a compromising situation, and sent him flying, making him quite possibly the world's first ever human satellite. Then when he returned to the inn, she would rebuff him and ignore any of his attempts to apologise, making him feel worse. Whether this was intentional or not, nobody knew.

Mutsumi, however, was her polar opposite; she was ever so cheerful, even in bad times... a characteristic that tended to confuse the tenants a lot. She would willingly lend him a shoulder to cry on if he ever felt sad, playing the role of an agony aunt, in many ways. Whereas Keitaro spent quite a lot of time with Naru, it always ended on a negative note, not to mention a painful one. When he spent time with the Okinawan, however, such things never happened. She dismissed any incidents, such as his infamous 'face-to-breasts' or his 'hand-to-breast' falls, as accidents. In general, she was just a very pleasant, nice person who had no discriminations towards him whatsoever.

Taking a deep breath, he replied. "I accept, Mutsumi-_san_."

Mutsumi's eyes widened, her mouth open in surprise. "Ara... you do, Kei-_kun_?"

"_Hai_."

"I know I asked if you accepted my love, but... what about Naru-_san_?"

Keitaro took another deep breath. "To be honest, my love for her waned with every time she hit me and ignored me after every argument. I know that I wanted to be more than just friends with her, but... I just can't see myself lasting in a relationship where I fear getting smashed through the walls and ceilings of Hinata Sou for even the smallest accidents with every day that goes by. Whereas if I were to be in a relationship with you, I wouldn't have any of that to fear. You're a very understanding woman, Mutsumi, who would listen to my side of the story as well as Naru's, and I would like to be more than just a friend to you. You are the type of woman I would much prefer being in a relationship with. So, Mutsumi... I accept."

Mutsumi's eyes glistened with tears as a brilliant smile spread across her face. "Oh... Kei-_kun_!" She dived towards him and wrapped her arms around him, taking him completely off-guard. Unable to hold back any longer, the tears that had gathered in her eyes started to fall gently down her cheeks. "Do you know... how long I waited... for you to... say those words?" She said in between sobs, burying her head into his chest.

Keitaro reciprocated by wrapping his arms around her, rubbing her back gently as she cried. "You needn't worry about that any more... I've said it."

Mutsumi lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him with teary eyes. Keitaro gently wiped tears from her eyes with his thumb, making her blush slightly. After staring into his eyes for a few moments, she closed hers and leaned her face towards his slowly, while he did the same. Once again, they shared a passionate kiss; one which was very meaningful for them both. Keitaro hoped that this was not a dream. If it was, he definitely did not want to wake up, and nor did his Okinawan counterpart. Breaking off after a few minutes to catch their breaths, Keitaro stood up, offering his hand to Mutsumi. Taking his hand, she also stood up.

"_Aishiteru_, Mutsumi."

"_Aishiteru_, Keitaro."

Holding one another's hands, they walked back to Hinata Sou under the silvery moonlight, the _sakura_ petals slowly floating around them in the calming breeze.

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**::: _END CHAPTER ONE :::

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_**

**::: AUTHOR'S NOTES :::**

Woo. My first fanfic of 2005. And what a crappy, predictable, overly WAFFy one it is. Flame away!

I had a fair bit of trouble trying to write this one. I figured green would have been the best colour for Mutsumi's _kimono_. After all, the skin of a watermelon is the same colour ("no duh, Sherlock" - Eleanor).

All types of feedback are welcome, as always.


	2. Discussions

**::: Sakura Kisses :::**

by

_- GlazedAndConfused -_

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**::: AUTHOR'S NOTES :::**

As you can see, I decided not to leave this as a one-shot. And thanks go to Hawk, HellHound, kyee7k and glazedlookineyes101 for that... if they didn't give me the incentive to actually continue this, then this chapter wouldn't have even been in consideration. ;)

I figured I better add that this chapter occurs just after Keitaro, Naru and Mutsumi arrive back at Hinata Sou from Okinawa in Volume 10. The rating has been upped to PG-13 to be on the safe side.

And read chapter one for the disclaimer. I just can't be arsed to add it in this chapter. :P

* * *

"..." - denotes speech.  
"(...)" - denotes whispering.  
_Italics_ denote thoughts and Japanese dialogue.

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**_Chapter Two_ :::** _Discussions  
_

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"_Aishiteru_."

One simple word. It is this word that can change the life of the person it is said to, especially if the person it is said to loves the one who is saying it reciprocates that love back to them just as much, if not more. This was especially in the case of Keitaro Urashima and Mutsumi Otohime. A matter of moments ago, they confessed their love to one another, and consummated it with a deep, meaningful kiss; one which Mutsumi in particular enjoyed, as it was the first kiss she had ever given him that had been returned with just as much passion and fervour. She put her fingers to her lips and blushed healthily as she reminisced the kiss. She looked over at her new boyfriend, Keitaro, who had a ruminative and thoughtful look on his face.

Keitaro was, indeed, mulling over the fact that once they got back, they would both have to break the news to the other tenants. The problem was, he would be much happier if they didn't have to break it at all and just keep it a secret. But he had to face the truth. There would be no use in keeping it hidden from the other tenants as they would find out eventually, by way of Naru's spying or Su's merciless mouth. Either way, they would find out one way or another, no matter how they did, as trying hard to keep a secret in Hinata Sou was just as useful as jumping in the ocean to get out of the rain.

_So now me and Mutsumi are boyfriend and girlfriend._ He mused. _But how are we going to let the others know about this? I'm not even looking forward to letting Naru or Motoko know..._

He winced as he considered Naru's possible responses to their declaration. The most obvious answer was that she would make him the first ever human satellite to be sent into the orbit of Pluto. The second answer would be that she throws her arms around him and vehemently confesses her undying love for him. However, there was a greater chance of the apocalypse occuring at the end of the week before she did that; she was so stubborn that she would never admit her feelings for him, even under the threat of sodium hydroxide, and that she could not care less about him. The third answer was just as likely to happen as the first; she would throw a fit and refuse to have anything to do with him. The fourth and final response would have thrown everyone off-guard if it did happen, even the normally impassive Haruka. She would throw her arms around the two and shed tears of happiness for the new couple, wishing them a happy future together full of love.

"Keitaro?" Mutsumi asked, noticing him wince. "What's wrong?"

"Oh... i-it's nothing, Mutsumi!" He replied unconvincingly, waving his hands around frantically while flashing her his trademark goofy smile. "N-Nothing at all!" He stopped walking, noticing that Mutsumi had stopped. "Is something wrong?" He asked, his smile turning into a look of concern.

"You're thinking of how to tell the others, aren't you?" She simply said, levelling her new boyfriend with a serious look, her chocolate brown eyes locking with his instantly. "I can see it in your eyes. You're worried about what they will all say, especially Naru-_san_."

Keitaro looked downwards. She had hit the nail right on the head. "..._Hai_, you're right."

The beautiful Okinawan placed her hands on both his cheeks and leaned up to give him a tender, reassuring kiss on the lips. She pulled back, smiling sweetly. "Don't worry about that, Keitaro." she said cheerfully.

"But..."

Mutsumi gave him another kiss, placing her finger on his lips as if to shush him. "I'll tell Naru-_san_ and Motoko-_san_. You just worry about telling Shinobu-_chan_, Su-_chan_ and Kitsune-_san_." She took his hand and continued walking, snuggling into his arm and leaning her head against his shoulder. Seeing no reason to doubt her intentions, Keitaro followed on, an assured smile forming on his face.

"Actually," Keitaro replied, "I'll not tell Su-_chan_... you know what she's like about that kind of thing."

Mutsumi laughed, as they both continued on their way back to Hinata Sou.

* * *

Back at Hinata Sou...

The rest of the tenants were sat in the lobby, waiting for the _kanrinin_ and watermelon woman to arrive in order for suppertime to start. Su was laid back in her seat on the sofa, her hands on her stomach. Sarah, the resident American and Su's partner-in-crime was sat in her seat with her legs folded. Kitsune was sprawled across one of the other sofas, a bottle of saké in her hand, with Naru standing beside her. Motoko was stood up, leant against the wall nearest to the stairs with her arms folded and her eyes closed, seemingly in a state of meditation.

"Where's Keitaro and watermelon lady got to? I'm so hungryyyyy..." Su moaned, rubbing her stomach with both hands for added effect.

"You're always hungry," muttered Sarah, the second _gaijin_, "so what difference does that make?"

"I wonder where _sempai_ and Otohime-_sempai_ are? They've been out for a while." Shinobu asked nobody in particular, concerned for the two former _ronins_.

"She's right," replied Kitsune. "Normally they're out for about an hour when they go out for a walk together; it's now been two and a half."

Naru sat in her chair, leaning back indifferently. "Who cares about that _baka no hentai_? He's probably taken poor, innocent Mutsumi into a bush and is having his perverted ways with her right now." She said, bitterly.

"_Sempai_ wouldn't do anything like that..." Shinobu said, uncertainty beginning to set in as her worrying heightened.

Motoko bowed her head slightly and closed her eyes. "Even so, Kitsune-_san_ is right. It is not normal for Urashima and Mutsumi-_san_ to be out for this long. Especially since it is fast approaching nightfall. However, I fear Naru-_sempai_'s fears may be correct. I would not put it past Urashima to take his perverted lust out on a frail maiden like Mutsumi-_san_. If he has, I will make him pay for his transgressions..." she hissed, slowly unsheathing her _katana_ while receiving a wary glance from the violet-haired cook.

Kitsune leaned over towards Naru, her patented fox-like grin tugging at the corners of her mouth and spreading across her face. "Maybe there's something going on between them that we don't know about... maybe they're not really going for 'walks', _ne_?" She teased, causing Naru to spit out what was let of her tea and look at Kitsune with the widest eyes possible, Shinobu to overreact and Motoko to glare at her.

"Auuuuuuu! S-S-S-_Sempai_ and... Otohime-_sempai_... d-d-doing something el --" She exclaimed, going swirly-eyed before passing out, falling into a heap on the floor.

"Now look what you did, Kitsune! You know Shinobu overreacts!" Naru exclaimed, a vein appearing on her head.

"_Yare yare_... can't you take a little joke?" The fox-eyed woman said, turning back to face the double doors. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw two familiar silhouettes approaching the door. "Hey, guys... they're back."

Everyone moved towards the front door to greet the new couple. Kitsune opened the door to, indeed, find Keitaro and Mutsumi walking back to the inn; the fact that Mutsumi was snuggled up against Keitaro with her head on his shoulder didn't seem to faze them, though Naru looked on with mixed feelings; jealousy due to Mutsumi's position on his arm, and anger because of her own assumptions. Keitaro's blood ran cold as he noticed the auburn-haired _Toudaisei_ leaning against the door frame, with a glint in her eyes that was all too familiar to him.

"Ara... sorry we were late, _minna-san_." Mutsumi said, placing her free hand on the side of her face.

"Why were you two so late?" Kitsune asked. "We were worried about you two."

"We got a little sidetracked," Keitaro replied, allowing Mutsumi to go inside first before following her in. The rest of the tenants just made their way to the kitchen, with Kitsune closing the door. In the kitchen, everyone made their way to their seats and sat down.

Dinner passed with hardly any noteable incidents, except for Mutsumi and Keitaro conversing a lot more than usual, and Naru having nothing to say about why the two took so long to get back from their walk. Afterwards, everyone except for Mutsumi and Keitaro left the kitchen and went their separate ways; Su and Sarah to possibly cause more mischief and create more weapons of mass destruction, Motoko to meditate, Kitsune to read in her room and Naru to do some more studying.

"See, Keitaro?" Mutsumi said, a heart-warming smile on her face, placing her hand on top of his. "It's even better that everyone has gone their separate ways. It will be easier to break the news to them this way."

"I suppose you're right." Keitaro replied, smiling. "So... how will this go?"

"You tell Shinobu-_chan_ and Kitsune-_san_. I'll worry about telling Motoko-_san_ and Naru-_san_."

Keitaro stood up and gave Mutsumi an affectionate kiss on the cheek before walking out of the kitchen and up the stairs. _I suppose I'll tell Kitsune-_san_ first,_ he thought, _it'll be easier... I hope she understands_. With that, he made his way towards the foxy lady's room. Lightly rapping on her door, he heard her call, "Come in." He slowly slid open the door and saw Kitsune sat in the middle of the room, a bottle of saké in her hand. She looked up at him and smiled, raising her bottle to him. She motioned him to come in and sit next to her. Keitaro did as he was asked, walking over to the middle of the room and sitting down next to his _Kansai_ counterpart.

"There's something I need to tell you, Kitsune-san." Keitaro started, deciding to get to the point and forget any formalities.

"Oh?" Kitsune replied, cocking an intrigued eyebrow at him. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and placed her free hand on his chest. "And what is it that you want to tell me? C'mon, Kei-_kun_. You can tell your big sister Kitsune."

The _kanrinin_ blushed at the proximity between him and Kitsune. "I-I-I'm in love with someone."

Kitsune's grin widened. "I know, don't tell me... you're still in love with Naru?"

"N-No, not exactly. I'm in love with someone else."

The fox's grin disappeared. "You mean... you're not in love with Naru anymore?"

Keitaro took another deep breath. "...It's Mutsumi-_san_. She confessed that she loved me, and to be honest, I feel the same way about her."

Kitsune's grin was replaced by a slight frown. "W-What?"

_Oh boy. I knew this was going to happen..._

"I understand if you're angry, Kitsune-_san_..."

"Angry? Of course I am! Aren't you forgetting someone? How the hell do you think Naru is going to feel about this?"

"I know how Naru is going to feel." Keitaro stated, matter-of-factly.

"So why have you ditched her for Mutsumi? I have nothing against Mutsumi, but do you know how hurt Naru will be once she knows about this?"

"Kitsune-_san_, it's not that simple. You've seen how Naru's been acting, and you've known her since you were both teenagers. You of all people should know what she's like."

"Damn it! That's because she's not ready! Why didn't you wait? Why do you not love her?"

Keitaro sighed. "I did love her, that much I can't deny. I still do; just not in a romantic sense any more. But I can't see myself going out with someone who will continuously use me as a punching dummy for every time I trip and accidentally grab her where I'm not supposed to. For every time I got punched and hit by her for my clumsiness, my love for her became less and less. I just can't see myself in that kind of relationship. And when Mutsumi used to ask her about how she felt, she just spoke about me as if I were nothing more than a piece of dirt. Do you know how much that hurts? To be injured physically and emotionally seven days a week?"

Kitsune was about to speak, but stopped after Keitaro finished. She never thought of that, and could not deny how right he was. The fox-eyed woman felt slightly guilty, not only for her outburst, but also because Naru's violent spurts were also partially her fault, due to her conniving and conning him unless she got what she wanted; typically, money or saké. When he didn't comply to her demands, though, she would drop him right into the hot water in order to inevitably earn him a beating from Naru or Motoko, when none of it was his fault; all by way of fun. Then she would expect him to get double of what she demanded; if it was money, double the amount she originally demanded; if it was saké, two bottles instead of one. If he paid her, she would not pay him back. In fact, she would proceed to demand more, showing no signs of guilt up until now.

"But still," she continued. "Is it worth having Naru going through the pain of knowing?"

Keitaro looked Kitsune in the eye, making her flinch slightly. "I know it sounds cruel, but maybe then she will know how it feels to be emotionally hurt; how it feels to be in my shoes for once."

The foxy lady had no answer to that. She sat down, her mind going at a thousand miles a minute. While she agreed that Naru put the hapless _kanrinin_ through a lot of pain - unwarranted pain at that, mostly to vent her frustrations out on him; same as Motoko - and that the auburn-haired woman would finally see things through Keitaro's eyes if she were to be hurt in the same way she hurt him, Kitsune could not bear to see her best friend suffer by any means. She cared deeply for Naru, that much could be said. She would stick up for her through thick and thin, even after any minor misunderstandings or arguments the two had. What they had was a close-knit friendship that could possibly never be separated, no matter how much someone were to try. While Keitaro was definitely a friend, this was one scenario where she could not take his side; she valued the friendship between her and Naru too highly.

Kitsune took a long swig of her saké bottle, and slammed the bottle down, the burning amber liquid travelling down her throat. She levelled Keitaro with a serious glare. "Well, I hope you know what you're doing." She hissed angrily. "If the poor girl finds out, you're gonna have a hell of a lot of explaining to do."

Keitaro nodded in understanding. "I know. I don't want to hurt her; I really don't. But it's just gotten to the point where I've had enough of getting punched about for small mishaps. I know this sounds cruel, too, but maybe this experience will teach her how I felt the hard way." He took a deep breath. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

The fox-eyed woman nodded, maintaining a poker-face as he made his way over to her partition door. He opened the said door and walked out of the room. He made his way to Shinobu's room on the floor above him. _That went exactly the way I expected..._ Keitaro thought, sighing mentally. _Now there's Shinobu-_chan _to explain this to._ He walked over to Shinobu's partition door and rapped lightly on it. Footsteps lightly patting their way towards the door could be heard before it opened, revealing the petite teenager.

"_Ano_... Urashima-_sempai_!" She exclaimed, a small blush forming on her face. "P-Please come in."

Keitaro did so, closing the partition door behind him. He slowly walked in, Shinobu motioning him to sit on her bed beside her. Sitting down, he spoke.

"Shinobu-chan, there is something I think I ought to tell you."

The violet-haired girl felt her heartbeat quicken by at least fifty beats as she imagined the possibilities of what it is he has to tell her. _What is it he'd want to talk to me about?_ She thought.

"...I love you, Shinobu-_chan_."

"H-H-H-Huh?!"

Keitaro took her in his arms and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips, then held her head against his chest. Shinobu pulled back from his embrace slowly but reluctantly. She reciprocated his kiss and ran her fingers through his hair once she regained her composure. "B-But... what made you choose me?"

"Shinobu-_chan_... I only have eyes for you." He replied, stroking her face. Shinobu smiled, and leaned in for another kiss, the gap between them getting slowly closer until their lips locked and...

"...nobu? Are you okay?" Keitaro asked, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

"A-Ah! H-H-_Hai_, I'm fine... _gomen_." Shinobu stammered, a heavy blush on her face.

Keitaro smiled. "That's okay, don't worry. What I had to tell you is that I'm in love. With Mutsumi-_san_. And she feels the same way"

Suddenly, Shinobu felt her world come crashing down around her. The violet-haired cook loved him so much that she would kill to have him feel the same way; that much everybody could tell, but she knew that, in all honesty, she would never stand a chance with Keitaro due to the age difference between her. While she was more than willing until she was old enough for her _sempai_, she harboured no hopes of actually being able to develop such a relationship with him, not when there was competition around in the form of Mutsumi and Naru, both of whom were a lot more 'developed' and mature than her, while she still had a lot of growing to do. Now, whatever hopes she had left of capturing Keitaro's heart were shattered right in front of her like shards of glass, and then stabbed right into her heart. It pained her to see him in anyone else's arms but hers, and it would hurt a lot more. But she would eventually have to accept this, no matter how much pain it would cause. Her eyes began to tear up as she gripped her chest with both hands.

_N-No..._ She thought.

Keitaro noticed the pained look on her face, and felt concern for the young teenager. "Shinobu-_chan_... are you okay?"

Shinobu then made a move that surprised them both, herself more than anything. She dived towards Keitaro and threw her arms around him, holding him tightly than she anticipated. She let the tears flow freely, some of them beginning to drip down onto the crook of Keitaro's neck.

"S-Shinobu-_chan_?"

"S-S-_Sempai_... I-I... can't hold back how I feel for you a-any longer...! I know i-it's wrong but... I... love you! I-I've loved you since we f-first met!"

Keitaro's expression was that of extreme surprise. He was perhaps the only person in Hinata Sou who could not tell how Shinobu felt for him; another characteristic he shared with his mentor and protege, Seta. He hesitantly returned her embrace and wrapped his arms around her, slowly stroking her back in a comforting manner.

"Shhhhh..." he cooed, managing to shift so they were both lying on her bed, "it's okay."

The only sounds that could be heard were Shinobu's soft sniffles. Keitaro tried thinking of an answer to help palliate her pain and make the fact that he loved Mutsumi easier to bear. He sat Shinobu up, keeping her in his comforting embrace, and locked eyes with her. He noticed that they were bloodshot and her tears had marked her cheeks.

"Shinobu-_chan_, I love you too, in all honesty..." he replied solemnly, picking his words carefully to calm her, "but the love I have for you is more of an older brother to his younger sister. I will always be there for you if you need me to be, though, be it for friendship or for help in your studies."

Shinobu's mood seemed to brighten up slightly, though she was still quite saddened. She maintained her embrace, trying to keep him there for the time being so she could relish the moment while it lasted.

"You have so much going for you," Keitaro continued in an attempt to cheer Shinobu up, noticing that she was still saddened, "I mean, look at your studies; you're doing so well at school, what with your grades consistently improving... and you bring so much life and joy to Hinata Sou. You have a sweet and loveable personality, and I have no doubt you will find someone whose life you will make such a pleasure. In short, you're a very nice and sweet person who I just love to be around. Your personality and caring nature are the reasons why I care about you so deeply."

Shinobu managed a weak smile at her _sempai_'s words. _Oh, sempai... that's why I love you_, she thought. She looked up again and locked eyes with him. After a few seconds of staring at him, she leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips, an action that made Keitaro blush more than anything. "I would like to stay like this for a few moments longer, if that's okay with you, _sempai_?" she said in a subdued tone, her face so red that it could be mistaken from a cherry if seen from a distance.

"H-_Hai_," Keitaro replied, blushing as much as Shinobu.

The two remained in their comforting embrace for a few minutes of silence. The _kanrinin_ looked down at Shinobu when he heard her emanating a few soft snores, finding her asleep. Lifting her up, he pulled back her bed covers and tucked her in, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead. He walked towards the partition door and was about to open it before he heard Shinobu mutter a few words.

"Zzz... _sempai_, please don't leave me... zzz..."

Keitaro smiled lightly at her words, then opened the door and walked out, switching off the light before closing the door behind him. Just as he was about to go back to his room, he bumped into Mutsumi who was obviously on her way to Motoko's room.

"M-Mutsumi!"

Mutsumi flashed a bright smile at Keitaro, kissing him on the lips gently. "I heard everything you said, Keitaro. Your words were so sweet; they really touched my heart."

Keitaro blushed a rosy hue of red at his girlfriend's words. "Where are you going to now?"

"I'm going to explain to Motoko-_san_."

Keitaro shuddered as he pondered about Motoko's reaction. She too would have various reactions, most likely the same as Naru's - except it cannot be said that she will be very accepting of the revelation. But that didn't make them any more appealing to think about. The most likely option would be that she too would make him the world's first human satellite to reach the outer edges of the solar system as we know it. The second would be that she'd have no choice but to accept it once the Okinawan managed to persuade her... though that acceptance would be made very grudgingly, and she'd be keeping a highly watchful eye on the _kanrinin_. Number three would be that she'd drop her sword and bow to the two out of respect, wishing them all the best - a highly unlikely scenario.

"I hope Motoko-_san_ doesn't go mad and try to turn me into a shish kebab once you've finished..." Keitaro laughed nervously as he pictured himself tied up over a large pot of boiling water, with Motoko standing in front of him; her _katana_ sharpened and at the ready, a sadistic grin on her face.

Mutsumi held Keitaro's hand assuringly and kissed him again. "It will be okay, don't worry. You just go to your room. I'll come back to you once I've done talking to them." She replied with her trademark heart-warming smile, walking towards Motoko's room. Keitaro looked as Mutsumi walked off. _She sure is one of a kind..._ he thought, walking back to his room as soon as she was out of sight.

The Okinawan reached Motoko's room and knocked on the door lightly. "Enter," came the response from within the door. Mutsumi slid the door open and found Motoko sitting at the far end of her room, her legs crossed, head bowed and eyes closed in a meditative pose. "Ah, Mutsumi-_san_," Motoko spoke in a relaxed tone, "please, take a seat. How may I be required to assist you?"

Mutsumi closed the partition door and walked over to Motoko, sitting opposite her and folding her legs. "I would like to talk to you about Kei-kun."

Motoko's eyebrow furrowed slightly, but nonetheless opened her eyes, intrigued by what Mutsumi could possibly talk to her about. "That _hentai_? What could you possibly want to talk about him for?"

Mutsumi took a deep breath. "I'm in love with Kei-_kun_... and he feels the same way."

The Aoyama girl raised her head and widened her eyes, looking at her disbelievingly. "Wh... What good can you possibly see in that _hentai_? He is vile, lecherous, and perverted. He will only continue to taint our presences the longer he stays in this dormitory."

The watermelon woman leaned over, staring in Motoko's eyes. "That's your opinion. But have you ever spent any time with Kei-_kun_? Have you ever tried getting to know him? He is nowhere near as perverted as you and Naru-_san_ try claiming he is. You will discover that for yourself if you ever try to spend time with him."

Motoko huffed indignantly. "How do you explain him trying to touch us in inappropriate places every day, claiming that it is only an accident? He is a pathetic male; nothing more, nothing less."

Mutsumi frowned, her eyebrows beginning to furrow slightly. "Motoko-_san_, he is clumsy, just like me. Not everybody is as nimble or able-footed as you are. None of you give him a chance to explain his side of the story when he gets into a mishap. How do you think that makes him feel? Just because his body may seem indestructible, that's not to say that his emotions are the same. If that were a normal man you were treating like that, they would be emotionally shattered if they weren't seriously injured or killed long before now."

The kendo girl looked at Mutsumi in pensive thought, and knew she too was right. Neither her nor Naru took his emotions into consideration when they attacked him for his apparent 'transgressions'. Because his body was practically unbreakable like diamond, they immediately assumed that his feelings were the same; that he could bounce back from any insult or abuse literally unscathed. The only feelings she cared about were those of the other tenants. While such an act was generous in itself, it was countered only by the hostility she held towards the _kanrinin_; a hostility that could cost her dear if it carried on the way it did. Mutsumi was right about another fact that struck home; she had never actually gotten to know Keitaro as a person. While she had opened up to him considerably after helping her defeat her older sister, Tsuruko, in Kyoto, she still remained fairly hard-headed and obstinate towards him. She never offered to spend any time with him in order for the two to get to know each other, so she could see the side of him that only Shinobu and the Okinawan woman could see. She took a deep breath and broke the ice after a moment's silence that loomed awkwardly over the two.

"...Hmph. While I do not approve of this news, I will try to refrain from attacking Urashima for your sake, and your sake only. But I cannot guarantee that Naru-_sempai_ will do the same once she hears about this." Motoko replied, seeing no other alternative but to accept, albeit grudgingly.

Mutsumi smiled. "Thank you, Motoko-_chan_. That's all I wanted to hear."

Motoko returned the smile. "May I help you with anything else?"

The Okinawan shook her head. "No. That is all. _Arigato_." She stood up and dusted herself off, and walked over to the door. She gave Motoko a quick glance and smiled again, then opened the partition door and walked out of the room, closing it behind her. Mutsumi let out a breath of relief that she didn't even know she had been holding, then made her way upstairs to her study partner's room. This is going to be the hardest of all, Mutsumi thought. _I know that Naru-_san_ does love Kei-_kun_, but it's time for me to let my feelings known._

Outside Naru's room, Mutsumi took a deep breath to ready herself and rapped on her door. "Who is it?" she heard Naru call from inside.

"It's only me," she replied.

"Ah, Mutsumi-_san_. Please, come in."

Mutsumi opened the partition door and walked in to find Naru in full-study mode, her _Toudai_ text books and sheets of paper strewn all over the place, with Naru in her studying attire; coke-bottle glasses, sweater and pajamas. Naru motioned the Okinawan to sit at the _kotatsu_ table, which she did.

"Naru-_san_, there is something I need to talk to you about." Mutsumi said, a serious expression on her face.

"Really?" Naru said, intrigued. She took off her glasses. "What about?"

"It's about Kei-_kun_."

Naru felt her blood begin to run cold at the mention of Keitaro's name, not at the suffix Mutsumi added at the end, but where the watermelon-loving woman would take this conversation. Nonetheless, she maintained a poker-face. "What about that pervert?" She replied.

Mutsumi leaned closer to Naru and looked her directly in the eye, making the auburn-haired _Toudaisei_ flinch slightly. "You know how I feel about him, Naru." The Okinawan said, maintaining her serious expression.

"_Hai_." Naru replied coldly, unable to return Mutsumi's gaze. "You really like him. What is it you want to talk about regarding him?"

Mutsumi kept her expression, her gaze never moving away. "I love him."

Naru smirked, waving her off indignantly. "Okay. What is it you wanted to say?"

"And he feels the same way." Mutsumi replied, smirking victoriously inside.

Naru stiffened completely, shocked at what her counterpart said. "What... what did you just say?"

Mutsumi smirked visibly. She knew that she had hit a soft spot inside Naru by admitting her feelings for the _kanrinin_. "I love Kei-_kun_," she stated in a calm tone, "and he feels the same way about me. That's why we took so long in getting back here, because we spoke about it."

Naru's temper began to flare into life, slamming her hands hard on the _kotatsu_ table as she knelt up and stare Mutsumi in the eyes directly. "But... h-he was mine! I love him, damn it! I love him! How c-could you take him away from me just like that? I thought you were my friend!"

The Okinawan shook her head, sighing. "No. You mean that you _used_ to love him. Naru-_san_... you should have let him know how you felt about him, instead of being so indecisive and wishy-washy about your feelings. I would always cheer you both on from the sidelines in the hope that he would find happiness with you. Yet, on the inside, I was hoping that it would be me who Kei-_kun_ would love."

"Bu --"

"Don't interrupt me, Naru-_san_. I know that you're going to say that I don't know what I'm talking about. But I do; very much so. I could tell that you were jealous of any of the rest of us having his attention paid to us; you wanted that attention all to yourself. You relished in the fact that he really seemed to like you, and wanted it to stay that way. But how do you think I felt, watching as you constantly harmed him for the smallest of accidents? You were so blinded by your views of him being a pervert that you never sought his side of the story. More importantly, how do you think that made him feel? That was another thing he told me this evening. He told me that he could not see himself in a relationship where he would fear being pummelled left, right and centre for his bouts of clumsiness. His body may seem immortal, Naru-_san_. But his feelings are anything but that; they are just as human as everyone else's. He came to me every time you both had an argument that culminated in him being hurt, seeking support and understanding. He would come to me to receive strength and compassion. I cared about him then in more ways than you ever did. But every time he cheered up, I allowed him to go back to you. I wanted him to be happy, and disregarded my own feelings so he could be with you, only for you to degrade him once again. Do you have any idea how that felt?"

Naru was struck silent, having no reply to that soliloquy of Mutsumi's. "I... I had no idea..." She whispered, the tears beginning to spring to her eyes.

Mutsumi stood up and walked over to Naru, kneeling down and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder; a hand which Naru shook off violently, forcing the Okinawan back slightly and grabbed her Liddo-_kun_ stuffed doll and ran downstairs, crying. Mutsumi frowned slightly, shaking her head in disappointment. She moved the plywood board covering the hole that separated Naru's and Keitaro's rooms, and climbed down it, landing in the middle of the room. Keitaro turned around and smiled, offering Mutsumi a cup of freshly-made tea, which she accepted. They both sat down opposite one another at his _kotatsu_ table.

"So, how did it go?" Keitaro asked.

"I don't think it went that well," Mutsumi replied, still frowning. "Naru-_san_ was very upset."

Keitaro's smile disappeared and turned into a frown. "Should I go and talk to her?"

"No." Mutsumi replied, lowering her head thoughtfully. "I think it's best that you leave it till morning. She will have calmed down by then. But I think she should be the one who goes to you this time; not the other way around."

Keitaro nodded. "I understand."

The two spent the rest of their time together in a contemplative silence, not so much as a word being exchanged between them until they had finished their drinks. "Well," Keitaro started, breaking the silence. "I think I will turn in for the night. Tomorrow will be pretty hectic, what with trying to talk to Naru."

"_Hai_." Mutsumi smiled softly at him and moved closer, squeezing his hand. She blushed slightly. "Keitaro... may I stay with you tonight?"

Keitaro's eyes widened. "Mutsumi... you don't mean...?"

If Mutsumi's cheeks didn't feel as if they were a blazing inferno before, they certainly did now. She shook her head lightly and squeezed his hand tighter. "No. We're not quite at that stage yet. What I mean is I just want to spend tonight in your arms, alone. I want to wake up tomorrow morning, in the arms of the man I love."

Keitaro blushed a similar hue. "Of course, Mutsumi. I'd love to let you." He stood up and kissed her on the forehead, then walked over to his cupboard and took out his futon, unrolling it. He took a spare pillow and moved his aside to make room for it, rolling the covers back. He pulled the cover up as he decided to get changed, blushing as he got changed under the covers. When it was Mutsumi's turn, however, nothing prepared him for what was going to happen. Rather than just going over to the futon and getting changed under the covers, Mutsumi just started to strip down to her underwear, seemingly unabashed by her actions. Keitaro found himself unable to peel his eyes away from the slender, curvy form of his new girlfriend, and divebombed towards the box of tissues to stop the sudden geyser of blood that was about to burst from his nose. Mutsumi noticed this.

"Ara... see something you like, Kei-_kun_?" She teased, making no effort whatsoever to cover her chest. Keitaro felt all the blood that was about to escape from his nose rush to his cheeks, his face glowing so much that he could have stopped traffic if he was standing on the corner of the street. Mutsumi pulled on her nightshirt and walked over the futon, crawling under the covers and placing an arm over Keitaro's chest, her hair draping over his face slightly. Brushing the strands of hair back behind Mutsumi's ears, he kissed her on the lips tenderly.

"Goodnight, my love." Mutsumi said, kissing back. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mutsumi. Good night." The _kanrinin_ replied, switching off the bedside lamp before wrapping his arms tightly around him.

**

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::: _END CHAPTER TWO_ :::

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**::: AUTHOR'S NOTES :::**

Wow, I never thought I'd get so many good reviews for this. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far - you know who you are.

This chapter was inspired by the fic 'Silent Strength' by Sephimorg, a very good Keitaro/Shinobu fic, I might add.

Wouldn't you just want to chain Naru to a wall and leave her there until she finally accepts that she's not going to get Keitaro? I would if Akamatsu made the manga/anime end with a Keitaro/Mutsumi pairing... I mean, how could Keitaro resist a woman like Mutsumi? She gives him all the understanding and friendship that Naru never could, and she doesn't even send him into the stratosphere for any misunderstandings.

Of course, that's a matter of opinion, but... there you go.

As always, all sorts of feedback are welcome. Flame me, though, if you think Kitsune is OOC... I just felt that she'd be happier if Keitaro were to proclaim his love for Mutsumi, instead of Motoko (not that I have anything against her; she'd make a good partner for him too) and Naru (for reasons we all know).


	3. Clearing Matters Up

**::: Sakura Kisses :::**

by

_- GlazedAndConfused -

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**::: AUTHOR'S NOTE :::** _

Just a small 'warning' of sorts. At the end of this chapter, there is mild _shoujo-ai_ content. If such scenes offend anyone, despite it's mildness, do not read it.

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"..." - denotes speech.  
"(...)" - denotes whispering.  
_Italics_ denote thoughts and Japanese dialogue.

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**_Chapter Three_ :::** _Clearing Matters Up

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_

Love. Perhaps the most enigmatic of human emotions. It is a strong enough emotion to bind two people together perhaps for the rest of their lives. Yet at the same time, it is justas fragile as it is strong. It is so fragile that all it would take is the smallest of misunderstandings to make or break the love two people have for each other. It is also the most painful of human emotions if it stretches as far as two people competing for the same person. In such a case, for one person in this equation to have the person that they truly loved taken away from them by the person they saw as their best friend is a painful enough experience. For that person to lose the said person in the same way without even being able to confess their love literally feels like having salt added to a fresh wound. Naru Narusegawa discovered this feeling for herself the previous night... the hard way. Her indecisiveness was the feature that eventually led to her love interest and study partner, Keitaro Urashima, losing his romantic interest in her to her second study partner and friend, Mutsumi Otohime; the other two people in question that added to this unstable equation.

It was a cool, crisp spring morning in the small hot spring town of Hinata. The sun streamed in through the closed blinds on the windows and the front doors, providing little light to the lobby. Naru was lying face down on the sofa in the said lobby of Hinata Sou, having slept in an uncomfortable position for the night. She stirred slightly and raised her head from the arm of the sofa. Her face was red, her cheeks stained with tear marks where she had cried herself to sleep the night before. Her hair was matted and she was still wearing her study attire. She sat up, wincing as her joints ached from sleeping in such an awkward position for the entire night. Standing up, she stretched to get the uncomfortable feeling out of her joints and walked into the kitchen. She turned on the cold tap and threw some water in her face to wash the sleep from her eyes and make her more aware. Drying her face, only one thing was running through her mind.

_I wonder if Keitaro is awake yet?_ She wondered. _I really need to see him. I better change first, though._ The auburn-haired woman began her slow ascent up the stairs and towards the _kanrinin_'s room. As she reached the partition door, she could hear light chatter coming from inside of the room, although she couldn't actually hear what was being said. _Probably Mutsumi-_san_ and Keitaro talking to one another over a cup of tea or something._

* * *

Inside the _kanrinin'_s room... 

Indeed, Keitaro and Mutsumi were sat inside conversing with each other at the _kotatsu_ table, each with a cup of tea in hand. Rather than sat opposite one another like they were the previous night, they were sat side by side; Mutsumi with her head resting comfortably on Keitaro's shoulder, Keitaro resting the side of his head on the top of Mutsumi's head. She was holding one of his hands with her free one, stroking it gently with her thumb.

"Mutsumi..." Keitaro started, uncertainty filling his voice. "Are you sure I should wait for Naru to come to me? Should I be the one going to her?"

Mutsumi lifted her head from Keitaro's shoulder and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She looked at his face. "Keitaro, I'm positive that she should be the one coming to you. After each and every misunderstanding you've both had which were not your fault for a start, you were the one to keep going back and forth and continuously apologise, explain and ask for forgiveness, when you were not the one who was at fault. Besides, Naru-_san_ has had two years to confess her feelings to you. I was going to wait and wait until the day she would finally do so, sacrificing my happiness so you could both be happy with one another. And this has been going on for two years, almost. In all this time, she has not said a word to you. She backed out every time, and the more she did that, the less willing I became to wait and the more willing I became to try to take you for myself."

A light knocking came from the partition door. "Just a moment," Keitaro called.

She looked towards both teacups and motioned at the twigs that were floating on the surface. "Keitaro, the twigs are floating upright. This is a good omen for you." She kissed him on the forehead and walked away, taking the knocking on the door as her cue to leave for the time being. As she opened the door, she revealed Naru, who did not even make eye contact with her. Naru slowly walked in as Mutsumi shut the door behind her, leaving the two in the _kanrinin_'s room. An awkward silence passed through for a few moments, until Keitaro decided to break the ice.

"Hi... Naru."

"Hi." Naru replied in kind.

Keitaro shifted in his seat uncomfortably as neither person willingly met one another's gaze. Deciding that beating around the bush was not the best way to go around this, he decided to go straight to the point, even if it meant hurting Naru more than she already did.

"Naru..." He said, his impassive face turning into a frown. "Are you hurt by the fact that I now love Mutsumi-_san_?"

Naru gritted her teeth, not out of anger, but out of sheer determination not to let her tears show. "_Baka_... you ask themoststupid questions..." She trailed off as she realised what she was saying, and that it was making Keitaro's frown deepen. "_Gomen_, I shouldn't have said that. I mean... I am hurting, _hai_. I don't know who to blame for it, though... you or myself."

Keitaro remained pensively silent, encouraging Naru to continue.

"But..." Naru continued, her fight to stop the tears from flowing from her eyes becoming a losing battle as her eyes glazed over once again. "With that said... I have a feeling that it's my fault this happened. Because... well, I could never feel good for the girl in this place whose life you were making happier. I felt... jealous, in many ways. Because I wanted whoever it was you were making happy... to be me. I wanted it to be me you were making happy; me that you were holding in your arms and telling that everything would be okay; me that was the one you were sharing jokes and laughing with."

The _kanrinin_ nodded, urging her to go on; he knew there was more to be said.

"I also knew that the rest of them loved you in many of their own unique ways. Kitsune sees you as the brother she never had... Motoko sees you as a friend she can trust... Su sees you the same way as Kitsune, plus as a playmate... Sarah, well... I don't know how she sees you... Shinobu has a massive crush on you... and, Mutsumi... well, we both know how she feels about you." The tears that she had been trying to hold back finally decided to flow down her cheeks, her body wracking with each sob like the waves in the sea breaking against the shoreline. "I know I should have tried and made things go that step further... but I guess that in not trying, I had already failed. I was worried about how the rest of them would react... that's what I was afraid of."

"You shouldn't have been worried about what the others would have thought about us... it wouldn't have been down to them to say whether we should or should not be going out with each other. We would have proven that we were just as good as any other couple in this town, if not better."

Naru nodded her head in understanding. "But... that's not all. There was something else I was afraid of. I was afraid of one of the other residents showing an interest or staking a claim in you. I was afraid that you would eventually show an interest... which would inevitably lead to me taking a drastic measure that would kill off any feelings you had for me once and for all. That was a risk I just couldn't take, because I liked the feeling you had for me... I just wanted to love and be loved, but not actually fall _in_ love. I guess it just wouldn't have worked out that way, huh?"

Keitaro nodded in response, his face forming an expression of bitterness and mild anger. "The worst thing was that, judging by what you've told me, you came to a conclusion about me already. It's just that you wouldn't act upon your feelings. You just kept second guessing and when it actually came down to it, you'd push me away in ways nobody would like to have done to them. If you honestly hadn't known about how you felt for me, that would have been fair enough... I would have waited for as long as it would have taken for you to make up your mind. But you decided against it as soon as I twigged on slightly... in the most brutal, spiteful way possible; physical violence and verbal abuse. Do you have any idea how much that hurt? It hurt me more than I even care to remember."

The tears sprang to Naru's eyes again upon hearing those words. Mutsumi was right. She never took into consideration how Keitaro felt emotionally whenever she would reject him after coming so close to admitting her feelings there and then. But the _kanrinin_ wasn't quite finished yet; as much as it hurt the auburn-haired woman to be brutally honest with her, he just had to get it out; all the pent up frustration from when he was repeatedly attacked and victimised for his bouts of clumsiness.

"That's also how much it hurt whenever you and Motoko would constantly attack me for falling over and grabbing whatever I could for support. I can't help it that I am clumsy. It's been that way ever since I was younger. You two may think it's nothing but a cheap excuse to 'cop a feel'. But it isn't. You can even ask Haruka-_obasan_. Honest to Kami, I try not to grab your breasts, pull your pants down, or end up with my head in someone's skirt or blouse when I fall over. And when I'm in the hot springs at the same time as everyone else, it's not because I want a peek. It's because you either choose to have a bath at the wrong time; for example, when I'm cleaning the hot springs. Or when you or Motoko launch me into the air and I land there. Now think about some of these 'compromising' situations that I end up in; my first night here, for example. You remember that time when you, Su and Motoko walked in and found me and Kitsune alone in my room, my hand on her breast?"

Naru nodded meekly, listening intently while feeling guiltier with every word he spoke.

"That wasn't even my fault." Keitaro continued. "Nobody even bothered to let me explain my side of the story when you took Kitsune away from me. She took my hand and placed it on her breast, claiming that she had feelings for me. And how about the time after New Year's Day, when you found Mutsumi in bed with me. Haruka-_obasan_ let me know that she told you about Mutsumi's odd sleeping habits... but did you have any idea about how much it drained me emotionally to just be tied up and hung from the ceiling while Kitsune was in that solicitor's suit, interrogating me? Nobody even let me explain my side then... Shinobu honestly believed that I did sleep with Mutsumi, Motoko threatened to re-introduce capital punishment, and to cap it all off, you sent me through the roof with one of your punches... and you didn't even tell anyone to let me explain; it seems that all I am in yours and Motoko's eyes is to just be victimised and used as a source to vent out your frustrations, just because I am the only male of Hinata Sou. There have been so many times I have wanted to hit you both back for each time you both hurt me. If you and me were to become a couple, that was what I feared would continue. A life of physical violence mainly inflicted by you on me for each and every misunderstanding we both had."

If Naru's heart wasn't broken before, it certainly was now. She could not deny that he was correct, even if she wanted to. Every single word he spoke in that soliloquy was entirely true; she never gave him a chance to explain his side of the story after each misunderstanding they had before sending him into the Earth's orbit, and then she would try and make him go on a guilt trip by ignoring his attempts to apologise. Her tears were now falling uncontrollably, despite her best efforts to hold them in.

"I know that it is probably too late to say this now..." Naru stammered, her shoulders heaving from her crying. "But... I am so sorry. I never took how you felt into consideration. I should have thought about everything I did before just going by instinct. I should definitely have said something about how I felt... but if you loved me as much as you said you did, then why did you stop loving me all of a sudden?"

Keitaro shook his head. "Naru, you get the wrong idea. It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. I thought about this, believe me. Way before me and Mutsumi even decided to meet. It's not that I don't love you anymore; I do... but just no longer in a romantic manner, like I used to. I can't even imagine what my life would be like without you as my friend... if there is anyone I would place more trust and confidence in than anyone else here apart from Mutsumi, it is you. Over the past two years, I've gotten to know you more than anybody else. I don't regret a single moment of that. I wouldn't worry about me losing my romantic interest in you... with your looks and your brains, there will be plenty of guys queuing up around the block. Trust me. You'll find the perfect person for you in time."

Naru wiped the tears from her eyes, stifling a choked sob. "I... I will?"

Keitaro gave her a reassuring smile. "Most definitely." He looked at the clock on the wall. "Shinobu-chan will be calling for breakfast any minute now. Shall we go down?"

"_Hai_," Naru replied, allowing Keitaro to help her up. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him closely, with the _kanrinin_ returning the embrace. "Keitaro... you mean so much to me, I couldn't bear it if I lost you as a friend. Can you forgive me for everything I've done?"

"Of course."

Naru smiled, sniffling. "Well, let's get down to breakfast."

"_Hai_."

With that, Keitaro opened his partition door and allowed Naru to leave first, before walking out and closing the door behind him. They walked down the stairs and into the kitchen without another word being said between them. Keitaro took his seat next to Mutsumi and Keitaro while Naru took hers next to Kitsune.

* * *

Breakfast passed as if nothing had happened at all, with the normal activities such as Su's consumption of twice her bodily weight in food and nothing much else except for light chatter between Su, Sarah and Shinobu, and Kitsune, Motoko and Naru. After washing up the dishes and cups, Keitaro was the first to go his separate ways, with Mutsumi following him up to his room after she helped Shinobu with some of the cleaning. She rapped softly on his door, a knocking that Keitaro easily recognised. 

_Mutsumi..._ he thought, sighing wistfully. _I'd recognise that knock anywhere_. "Come in," he called. Without much hesitation, the beautiful Okinawan came into the room. She was wearing her generic green jumper and brown overalls, with black tights and knee-high brown boots. Her trademark cheery, optimistic exterior remained unfazed as she walked into the middle of the room and sat on Keitaro's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"So, how did things go with Naru-_san_?" She asked, curiously.

"They went okay, to be honest," Keitaro replied, cupping Mutsumi's cheek with his hand and brushing her skin with his thumb, making her shiver slightly, a slight blush forming. "She seemed to accept it, and we both made our feelings clear. Then we decided to start off fresh."

"That's good."

After a moment of silence between the two, Mutsumi spoke up. "So, Keitaro, would you like to go out today? You know, to be in more private company with one another? We can call it a date if you want."

Keitaro smiled. "Of course. When do you want to leave?"

Mutsumi looked at the clock on the wall. It read 10.52 am. "Does 12.00 pm sound good to you?"

"_Hai_. We better tell the others we won't be here for lunch though. When do you expect us to be back?"

Mutsumi pursed her lips and moved up to the ceiling as if trying to remember a troublesome little detail. "Possibly about 6.00 pm."

"But... what shall we do until then?"

Mutsumi smiled brightly as she thought of an idea. "Why don't we take a bath?"

Keitaro's head snapped up. "N-N-_Nani_?! W-We can't! What w-will the rest of the girls say?!"

The beautiful Okinawan tilted her head bemusedly. "We don't have to take it in the open bath. Why not take it in your tub?"

The _kanrinin_ calmed down. He thought that it was a good idea too. After all, the bath had it's advantages. Itwas privatised. It wassecluded. Andit was alsosmall...

...Small. Now that was a problem. There was only room enough for one person to move around comfortably, and it would be a tight squeeze for the two of them to fit in. Nevertheless, it would have to suffice. Mutsumi stood up and took Keitaro's hand in hers, helping him up and leading him to the eastern side of Hinata Sou, towards theprivate tub. This was decided upon as it was a far safer option than the open hot spring. Once the tub was filled up, Keitaro waited out in the hall while Mutsumi changed near the tub, despite the fact that she did not mind him being with her while she was changing. Nonetheless, she returned the favour and waited outside while he changed into a towel that was wrapped securely around his waist, covering his netheregions. By the time he finished, Mutsumi was already in the bath, her chest resting on the rim of the bath. His anxiety levels by now went through the roof as his eyes widened and he waved his arms about frantically.

"Agh! G-G-_Gomen_, Mutsumi!" He stammered, covering his eyes while turning around at a breakneck speed, trying out of desperationtohold back thenosebleed that was yearning to come out.

Mutsumi tilted her head in confusion. "_Nani_? Keitaro, we're a couple now. It's okay to do things like this." She smiled. "Besides... I don't mind you seeing me naked."

Keitaro managed to keep his blood pressure at stable levels, preventing a sudden spray of blood at the sight of a naked Mutsumi. Finally deciding that there was no harm in them bathing together (after much debate between the moral side of his brain and the immoral side, the former winning by a landslide) as they were now officially a couple, Keitaro walked over to the tub and got in. Mutsumi then began to clean his back, the magic touch of her fingertips against the bare skin of his back making him relax more than anything.

After she had done washing his back and he had done washing his front, they switched places, with the Okinawan now in front of Keitaro. The _kanrinin_ now decided to return the favour by shampooing her hair, a round object on her head to protect her eyes from any of the lather which would leak down. She felt as if she was in heaven as his fingers scratched and massaged at her scalp, leaning back against his body as he continued to do so. She wanted to stay in this position forever, with the man she loved more than anybody.

After around fifteen minutes of shampooing and washing, they both got out of the bath, dried one another and got changed into a fresh set of clothes. For the forty-five minutes leading up to midday, they both just spent time with one another; not necessarily doing anything bar a few kisses and caresses, per se.

They made their way down to the kitchen holding hands, where they found Shinobu. The petite cook turned to them.

"_Konnichiwa_, Urashima-_sempai_ and Otohime-_sempai_!" she greeted, a brilliant smile on her face.

Keitaro and Mutsumi returned the greeting in kind, before the _kanrinin_ spoke up. "Oh, Shinobu-_chan_?"

"_Hai_?"

"Just to let you know, me and Mutsumi are going out together in a minute. So don't bother to make any lunch for us."

"Okay. _Arigato_."

They both turned and left, slipping a jacket on to keep themselves warm, and walked out of the old inn, hand in hand. Little did they know that two pairs of eyes had watched them; those belonging to Kitsune and Naru. Although they had both accepted the fact that Keitaro now loved Mutsumi, the latter of the two could not help but feel jealous at seeing them both together, wishing that it was her he was going out with.

"I know how you're feeling, girl," Kitsune said, wrapping an arm around her. "You've made your peace with Keitaro, but you're still finding it hard to move on after loving him for so long."

Naru had a downcast expression on her face. "_Hai_. I still like him, but that doesn't ease the pain in my heart whenever I see them getting romantic with one another. But still... I can't be angry at them both for the way they feel about one another. After all, it's only human nature."

Kitsune frowned slightly, and placed her hand under Naru's chin, tilting her head up so they both made eye contact with one another. "Naru-_chan_, you need to let him go. You need to move on, no matter how hard it may seem. Trust me, I've been down that route before and I know how it feels. It takes ages to fully recover from something like this if you really loved them, but you'll find someone else. I know you will."

The _Toudaisei_'s face brightened up slightly. She smiled lightly at her fox-eyed friend, wrapping her arms around her, an embrace that was returned. "_Arigato_, Kitsune..." Kitsune was the only other person Naru felt comfortable being around the most, other than Keitaro. Despite her often conniving and fun-loving nature, she could be a very heart-warming person at the best of times. She returned Kitsune's gaze, staring into her seyes that were now half-open.

They both found themselves unable to turn their gazes away from one another, becoming absorbed in each other's eyes. They were so absorbed that neither of them noticed that they were closing the distance between one another's faces until they actually made contact with their lips. At the touch, their eyes widened, but both of them seemed hesitant to break it off, enjoying the warmth and securitythat they felt. After a few moments, they did break off, both of them heavily blushing. Nothing was said between either of them for a few moments, until Kitsune broke the ice.

"That was... new, and unexpected." She whispered.

"_Hai_... it certainly... was." Naru replied in kind.

Another silence loomed over the two.

"Well... I'm gonna go to my room for a drink."

Naru said nothing, replying only with a meek nod. Kitsune gave a friendly smile and went up, leaving the auburn-haired woman with her thoughts. As soon as the fox-eyed woman reached her room, she slammed the door and ran over to the middle of the room, taking a bottle of saké out of her secret chiller. _What the HELL just happened there??_ Kitsune thought, her mind going at a thousand miles a minute. _Me... and Naru-_chan_... kissed! How did that happen? Okay, deep breaths, deep breaths..._She calmed down after a few moments, hugging the said bottle close to her chest. _Then again... I never felt that she would feel so... nice. Those lips against mine... they were so soft_. A heavy blush formed on her face, her eyes widened. If her room was pitch black at this moment in time, anyone who had walked in would have been able to determine her position easily by seeing what looked like a glowing red beacon.

Downstairs, Naru was having similar thoughts. _How... how did that happen? Me and Kitsune... we kissed. All we were doing was talking and shared a hug... then somehow it turned into a kiss!_ She turned as red as a tomato. _I'll take nothing away from her, though... she's a good kisser. It's a wonder she's not been able to maintain a stable relationship; speaking of which,I hope she finds someone._ She thought, placing her fingers against her lips. She laid back and stared at the ceiling, her mind switching to a different subject. _Keitaro... I lost you as a love interest. Please, don't let me lose you as a friend. You mean too much to me for that..._

**

* * *

::: _END CHAPTER THREE_ :::

* * *

****::: AUTHOR'S NOTES ::: **

Well, at least Naru is on the road to acceptance. Though I'd still want to chain her to a wall and not let her down for ages... (grins like Gendo from Evangelion). This is also the first time I've implemented _shoujo-ai_ in a story, so don't kill me if it's not satisfactory; flame me all you want, but don't kill me... I'm too young to die... (ducks and covers from possible wrath of fellow authors).

Well, at least Naru is on the road to acceptance. Though I'd still want to chain her to a wall and not let her down for ages... (grins like Gendo from Evangelion). This is also the first time I've implemented in a story, so don't kill me if it's not satisfactory; flame me all you want, but don't kill me... I'm too young to die... (ducks and covers from possible wrath of fellow authors). 

Apologies if this chapter seems rushed. In a way, it is; I have so many ideas running through my head at the momentthat this fic now becomes harder to write. That, and I'm finding it the hardest of all to write a concluding chapter to one of my other fics, "Keitaro, The Savant".

QuickEdit is crap! I've had to edit the bloody formatting of this chapter plenty of times before I saw it as good enough to be posted up...


	4. Contemplation

**: Sakura Kisses :**

by

_- GlazedAndConfused - _

* * *

"..." - denotes speech.  
"(...)" - denotes whispering.  
_Italics_ denote thoughts and Japanese dialogue.

* * *

**_Chapter Four_ :** _Contemplation_ _

* * *

_

It is often said that a person loves the one they hurt the most. This, to an extent, can be true depending on the nature of the harm that one tends to inflict on their love interest. In the case of Naru Narusegawa, this statement was true as it could possibly be. The auburn-haired _Toudaisei_ remained sat in the living room, rocking back and forth on the couch as she mulled over the events that just happened previously with her fox-eyed friend and those of the past day. Although she had willingly let Keitaro - her former study partner and love interest - go to Mutsumi, she could not seem to find herself able to dispel any romantic feelings she still had for the _kanrinin_. Multiple images raced through her mind at a thousand miles a minute. The kiss she shared with Kitsune. Keitaro's smiling face. The kanrinin and the Okinawan woman holding hands. She placed her fingers against her lips again, looking up at the ceiling.

_Kitsune... what happened just then?_ She mused, her cheeks flushing a light, rosy hue. _One minute, we were just talking like friends; the next, we kissed..._

She knew that everybody loved Keitaro in their own different ways, although some were more reluctant to admit that very fact than others. One of the people in which the latter applied was Motoko Aoyama, the very person who claimed so often that she thought very little - if anything - of the _kanrinin_. Yet sometimes her actions around Keitaro would suggest that her feelings were not what she claimed them to be; if anything, she seemed to be opening up to him a lot more ever since he helped her defeat her older sister, Tsuruko, in Kyoto. Two nights prior to that very battle, she had opened her emotions up to a male for the first time in... well, ever, after he had helped her back to Hinata Sou out of the rain and gave her back the confidence which she had lost. Although she put on a front that made her seem indifferent and uncaring - if not slightly disapproving - of Keitaro's and Mutsumi's relationship, she was in fact slightly jealous, although she had hidden this very well; almost to the point where even she forgot she felt that way.

It was no secret how Shinobu felt about the _kanrinin_. She had possibly the biggest schoolgirl crush ever seen by anyone, yet her main flaw was actually hiding that fact. Though, it wouldn't really have made a difference as far as the other residents were concerned; Keitaro was practically a younger clone of Seta - both Sara's guardian and his young protegé were dense, unknowing, and clumsy by their own standards. The petite, violet-haired cook would go to any lengths she deemed necessary in order to win his heart. From helping him heal quicker - although that wasn't particularly needed - after being sent flying here, there and everywhere throughout the halls of Hinata Sou to putting extra food on his dish before meals.

It was just a shame for her that her efforts to win his heart were often seen as normal actions between friends. Although it felt as if her world had come to a shuddering halt and crashed down in millions of pieces around her after Keitaro's confession that he and Mutsumi were officially a couple, she would realise that no matter how bad she felt about it, she would have to accept it. Even after she confessed her love to the _kanrinin_, she would have to settle for second best - if not slightly less - due to the age gap between them.

Su, well... as for the hyperactive _gaijin_, everybody knew of her brotherly love for Keitaro. It was a well-known fact around the house that she looked upon him as a brother since he, indeed, resembled her _oniichan_ who lived back in her homeland - a place of which none of the residents knew about. If only she gave at least some subtle hints about where that may be.

Sarah McDougal also loved him in a way, despite her actions suggesting otherwise.

Naru hugged her knees close to her chest and started rocking back and forth. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that she had to let any thoughts or plans she had of recapturing Keitaro's heart, she could not bear to see Mutsumi getting hurt emotionally in the process. Although the sadistic side of her brain thought that the frail Okinawan lily had hurt her and wanted to repay the favour, the more 'moral' side of her brain thought that she would be carrying the guilt of emotionally crushing her best friend for a long while. She, like Shinobu, would have to settle for second best.

Until the _kanrinin_ was free again, she would wait.

_Keitaro..._ She thought, the tears springing to her eyes again. _No matter how long you stay with Mutsumi, I will wait... even if I have to wait forever, I will..._

It was then an old saying had sprung to mind.

_It's better to have loved and lost... than to never have loved at all._

* * *

Keitaro and Mutsumi were taking a leisurely stroll down the small hot spring town of Hinata, both of them taking all the time they wanted, and spend as much time as they could with one another. After about half an hour of walking, they walked past a landmark that would bring back memories for the hapless male _Toudaisei_; the fountain in front of the local train station. 

The very same place where he and Naru arranged to meet for their first date - although the auburn-haired girl denied with much vehemence that it actually was a date. It was also where the new couple also arranged to meet for the Okinawan's first date, and the _kanrinin_'s second.

"Ara, doesn't this place bring back memories, Keitaro?" Mutsumi spoke, her trademark heart-warming smile still not fading from her face as she snuggled closer into her new boyfriend and intertwined her fingers with his.

"It does..." Keitaro replied with a smile of his own. "It was where we both met when we went on that date after New Year's Day." _It was also where me and Naru arranged to meet for our first date..._ he added mentally.

**Later...**

They both reached another location which reminded them of the first date they both shared; the local Beefbowl restaurant. Nothing in particular had changed from the last time they had visited. As expected, business was bustling as usual, with almost three-quarters of the restaurant full up. Although it was not what one could call a posh restaurant, it wasn't exactly what could be described as a dump. It looked practically neat with a few posters with Kanji writing - most likely describing special offers and which particular meals are recommended by the chefs. The smell of beef and soup wafted through the air, enticing whoever stopped and had a peek through the front door to come in even further. Mutsumi and Keitaro both looked around and chose their seats, where they just happened to be opposite one another at an empty table in a secluded corner of the restaurant.

"This place also brings back memories," Mutsumi spoke. "Doesn't it?"

"Yeah... we had a good time back then until Naru and Su showed up in that boat pond." Keitaro replied, blushing at the memory, which triggered the Okinawan to do the same. After sharing a giggle at the thought of when the gaijin and the auburn-haired girl rudely interrupted their date, they both picked up the menus that were lying on the table in front of them and had a look through them. They both decided on having combination dishes.

"Ara, it's nice to be eating somewhere else for a change," the Okinawan said, leaning in towards Keitaro.

"_Hai_," he replied. "No offence to Shinobu-_chan_'s cooking when I say this, but it does get a bit boring eating the same things day in day out."

Soon enough, the waiter had appeared with their orders, and they began to eat. For the next half an hour or so, they both shared childhood memories that they both remembered, as well as the time where they visited Okinawa when many incidents happened. The _Toudaisei_ speech being given to the Otohimes. Naru's hand getting trapped underwater in the giant clam. The two counterparts getting stuck in the tree when trying to save two of her siblings, which lead to a kiss from the Okinawan. Mutsumi falling out of the tree and clashing heads with Naru, causing the older woman to develop a case of amnesia. The impromptu 'wedding'. All were good memories which they could both look back at in retrospect and laugh about whenever they thought about it.

After they had finished their meals, Mutsumi stood up from her seat and gave Keitaro a kiss on the nose.

"Well, I'm going to go to the little ladies' room first."

As she reached the middle of the restaurant, she suddenly stopped, and began to wobble on her feet slightly.

"Ara..."

Keitaro noticed this, and anticipated whatwas going to happen.Immediately, hebolted up and quickly made his way through the crowd to reach his girlfriend. As expected, the process of one of her patented fainting spells had began. Her legs went from underneath her and she began her slow descent towards the hard ground. As she was halfway down, Keitaro hooked his arm around her back and caught her comfortably. He then towards the exit and outside, paying the bill as he was on his way out.

A few minutes later...

Keitaro was sat on a bench in the park that was opposite the restaurant, with Mutsumi laid on the bench; her head resting in his lap. Looking down at the peaceful expression on her face, he felt the heat rising in his cheeks. _Damn, she really is beautiful..._ he thought, unable to take his eyes off her face. _She looks even cuter when she is sleeping. I don't know how I could have ignored such a rare beauty._

Just as he finished brushing a few stray locks of hair away from her face, the Okinawan's eyes started to flutter open, her body stirring slightly as she awoke.

"Ara..." she softly groaned. "...Keitaro?" She observed her surroundings. "Where am I?"

Keitaro simply closed the gap between one another's faces and gave her a soft, tender kiss on the lips. "We're in the park."

"What happened?"

"You fainted as you were on your way to the... ladies' room," he replied with a slight blush, "and you fainted in the middle of the restaurant." His face adopted a look of concern. "How do you feel now?"

Mutsumi simply raised her head and reciprocated the kiss he gave her a few seconds earlier. "Just fine."

Keitaro smiled. "Where do you want to go now? We still have plenty of time left..."

He trailed off as the Okinawan placed a finger on his lips to silence him. "Nowhere for the time being," she replied, her cheeks a faint hue of crimson. "I just want to stay like this for a bit longer."

"Then the lady shall get her wish." Keitaro grinned.

Ten minutes later...

The happy couple were taking a leisurely stroll down the park, neither of them wanting to break the silence. It was now early evening, and the setting sun gave the sky a hue of red, making the scenery more romantic and picturesque.

Mutsumi looked up wistfully at her other half. _I love you, Keitaro..._ she thought, _...now and forever._ She snuggled closer into his arm and nuzzled her head against his neck, making him blush slightly.

Keitaro was having similar thoughts. _If only I had met you earlier, Mutsumi..._

A few moments later, they both walked past the part of the park that brought possibly the most embarrassing memory of their first date together; the boat pond. Upon realisation, Mutsumi's eyes lit up. She tapped Keitaro on the shoulder.

"Keitaro?" She asked. "Can we go for a boat ride again? We can finish what we never managed to do the last time." She finished with a playful glint in her eye; one which Keitaro picked up on.

"Why not?" He replied. "It'll be a fitting end to our date."

The Okinawan tilted her head up and gave him a peck on the cheek. "_Arigato_."

* * *

The boat pond. A particularly romantic scene for a couple to end their date, depending on what their tastes are. This is especially the case if the sense of romance is emphasised by a glowing red, archetypal sunset that glimmered off the water, making some parts look like liquid rubies. 

By now, the happy couple were in the middle of the pond, Keitaro relaxing the oars to let the boat float freely. Mutsumi was boring through his eyes with her own soft, chocolate brown ones, her trademark heart-warming smile never leaving her face for a moment.

"Isn't this romantic, Keitaro?" She asked, staring at him.

"H-_Hai_,"the _kanrinin_ replied, unable to meet her gaze. _Those eyes..._ he thought. _So beautiful. It's as if she is literally ordering me to enter her soul, rather than request..._

He was snapped out of his reverie by Mutsumi softly taking his face between her hands and slowly lowering his head onto her lap. Noticing her hand reaching down, he simply decided to just stay where he was, contentedly, as she gently slipped his glasses off and placed them on his lap.

"There." Mutsumi whispered. "Isn't this relaxing?"

"S-Sure is."

The beautiful Okinawan woman stared at his face with a loving and tender expression on her face; the similar expression Keitaro noticed the first time she did this on their first date earlier in the year.

"You know, Keitaro..." She continued. "You have a very cute face. Especially when you're not wearing your glasses. I can take as much time as I want to just stare at it, _ne_?"

"Sure, I-I don't mind."

She placed a gentle hand on his cheek and started to caress it. "Keitaro...I cannot thank you enough."

"F-For what?"

"For what you have done in the time we have known each other. I must be aburden to you,with my clumsiness and constant fainting."

"No, not at all -"

"But you have put up with it without having a single complaint about it. You have helped me so much ever since we met last spring. Words cannot say how grateful I am for this. And to make things even better, you agreed to be my partner. I feel like the happiest woman in the world at the moment, having the opportunity to show you how I truly feel. Which leaves me this to say."

Keitaro stayed quiet, nodding to let Mutsumi say what she had to.

"I have enjoyed this date so much, I wish that it could just last forever. In fact, it would give me great pleasure if we were to spend the rest of our lives together. Just you and me."

The blush that adorned the _kanrinin_'s face was one that had not been seen previously. If there was ever a record for the world's brightest blush, he would have broken that a hundred times over. He started to babble and stammer before Mutsumi rested a gentle finger on his lips.

"Shhh... no words are needed. After all, actions speak louder than words, _ne_?"

As if to emphasise that last point, the Okinawan slowly - almost teasingly - closed the gap between her lips and Keitaro's. Time stopped for the pair of them. The chirping of the cicadas, the leaves swaying in the gentle breeze, the sound of the water softly hitting the side of the boat - none of them could be heard by either of the pair; the only audible sound was both of their racing heartbeats. Keitaro could have sworn that it was an eternity before their lips finally made contact, as Mutsumi completely swept him away in the most passionate and amazing kiss either of them had shared yet. When they first kissed to consummate the next step in their relationship, theclumsyyoung manfelt as if everything had stopped, and that he and Mutsumi were the only two people left in the world. This kiss was like that, multiplied by fifty.

After they decided to come up for air - which was about two minutes or so after their lips made contact - they decided that no words were needed. They remained in their original positions, wanting to enjoy their company while their date lasted.

* * *

One hour later... 

As the two former _ronin_smade their way up the giant stone steps that lead toHinata Sou, neither of them were aware of a pair of eyes that was watching them from the laundry balcony. The said pair of eyes were the sapphire orbs that belonged to the second youngest resident of the all-girls dormitory, Shinobu.

The young cook was sat on the decking, leant against the wooden railing. Although there was a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips, there was also a sad, forlorn look in her eyes at the same time. She felt jealous. Jealous at the love that Keitaro had for the Okinawan, and how he expressed it so freely and openly. Though, she realised after her confession that the only thing she could do was stand back and accept that a new woman had a grasp on his heart, and was not about to let it go soon enough.

In fact, forever would be the correct analogy in this case. Everybody could see how much she liked being around the young man, and she made it perfectly clear how she felt about him even before she declared their relationship.

What they didn't expect was that she would stake her claim on him so soon.

It was no secret how she felt about Keitaro. Everybody except Keitaro himself knew that. But they all saw her feelings as nothing more than a schoolgirl crush. But Shinobu knew it was more than that. If it was a schoolgirl crush, how come those feelings had not faded by then? Surely if it were what they said it was, she would have seen the _kanrinin_ as little more than a friend and confidant. But even now, she was still pining after him. She even forgot all memories of what he did after they first met. Which was just as well. They were not really the best of memories to even try and think about; it didn't seem to be enough for him to take her trust and completely crush it in front of her after revealing that he had lied about his status as a _ronin_, claiming that he was a _Toudai_ student. It felt to her as if he had ripped her heart from his chest and proceeded to play football with it.

But just when she thought it couldn't have gotten any worse than it already was, it did. He became the _kanrinin_ of the all-girls dorm, and on that same night he fell into the bath after eavesdropping, thus seeing her fully naked; an incident that embarrassed her to such an extent that, if anything, fuelled her resentment and rancour towards him even further. She even went so far as to build up a stronger mental and emotional wall between him and her. She acted as if he didn't even live there. Whenever he spoke to her, she rebuked all attempts and pretended that he wasn't talking. Then when they were on the way back to the dorm and she dropped the groceries, he helped her pick them up. This was perhaps the only time they had spoken since his true status was revealed.

Then she let all her anger and frustration out, taking a morbid delight in how shocked he was after she walked away, even so much as allowing the smallest of evil grins creep across her face. She had been waiting for this moment. She let all her bitterness build up and then spewed it all out at once, rather than just letting it out gradually. But her biggest shock came in the fact that Keitaro was the only one who knew that it was Shinobu's birthday that very day. The fact that he had arranged a party for her after letting everybody else know of the occasion came as such a big surprise that she had immediately forgotten every ounce of resentment she felt for him, and things returned to the way they were when they first met. Sure, she was embarrassed again when she had

The violet-haired cook took a deep, shuddering breath and hugged her knees to her chest, staring into the evening sky, her eyes glazing over and the expression on her face becoming more forlorn. She longed to have the love she held for him reciprocated in kind, despite the age difference. She just wanted it to be her in his arms, always and forever, with no competition whatsoever.

Sempai_... I wish you the best with Otohime-_san She thought dejectedly. _But I'll always be there for you; even if you and Otohime-_san_ break up, I'll still be there. But I wish that you would see how much I love you for all it is worth... I let you know of my love. Why can't you love me in the same way, rather than just see me as a younger sister?_

This was where her conscience began to enter the fray. **_You still don't understand, do you? Face the facts. You are too young for him. It's better for him that he has a partner the same age as him._**

_B-But we get along so well! Why should that make a difference?_

_**Because he would feel that it would be wrong for you two to be in a serious relationship with one another. Especially since you are still growing. You're still only 15, remember? A teenager. He is 21. An adult. It would be against his morals for an adult to have the same sort of relationship he has with Mutsumi with you. Those are the facts. This is the real world, not that of fantasy, where the love of many can go unrequited. It is true that there are many partners who have a much bigger age gap than you and Keitaro. But you still have another three years to go until you are an adult. Do you think that anyone the same age as him would be willing to wait until then before they finally initiate a relationship?**_

Shinobu realised that her conscience was right. Unrequited love. She never stood a chance from the very beginning. It was pointless to even try and make him realise how much she loved him, and to try and impress him; to make him notice the effort she was putting in to capture his heart.

Not for the first time that day, she lost her resolve and started to grieve silently, her body sliding further down the railings and her head burying itself into her hands.

* * *

Kitsune was sat in her bedroom with a bottle of saké and a glass cup by her side. The fox-eyed woman was sat in a ruminative silence, mulling over what had transpired between her and Naru earlier. Her entire face was flushed, making her look as if she had been lying under a sunbed for too long. Her normally closed eyes were open half-way, staring blankly at the wall at the far end of her room. She too placed her fingers against her lips. 

_Naru..._ She thought, similarly to her auburn-haired friend. _H-How did that happen? First, we were just talking... then we hugged... then all of a sudden, we kissed each other._

It would seem as if the kiss had changed something about her. While she was a fun-lover and loved to flaunt her body, knowing how good and curvy her figure was - something she took particular pride in, using it to her own 'advantages', namely extorting saké money out of Keitaro on a constant basis, knowing his inexperience with those of the opposite sex until now - she did also have a slight curiosity in those of the same gender as her. Living in Hinata Sou had only aroused this curiosity even further. But the trouble was this... was there anyone, except Mutsumi, who shared the same curiosity as her? Su, Sara and Shinobu were also out of the question; the age gap was too big, though knowing Su's curiosities, how the young _gaijin_ felt about that would have been anybody's guess. She often found herself wondering how a woman's lips would feel pressed against hers. How another woman's bare skin would feel against her's. Though this curiosity wasn't to such an extent that it made her consider if she was heterosexual, bisexual or a lesbian. The latter would most likely be struck off almost immediately if she ever did consider her sexuality.

Her mind then switched to Naru. The only person to have gotten closest to her and known her the most ever since they had gone to high school together. The fox-eyed woman had not only been friends with her, but also acted as an agony aunt of sorts for her, giving her advice and other information on some bits and pieces of life. If Naru was jealous at Kitsune's outgoing and social nature, she certainly didn't show it. However, a role which she did not particularly like, however, was playing the 'messenger' for her whenever the auburn-haired girl wanted to dump one of her many admirers. Whenever she would attempt to ask out the ones Naru had ditched, she would be rejected. No matter how politely the rejection would be put, that didn't help lessen the pain she felt.

This then reminded her of a man from the past.

Seta.

The only man she well and truly loved, above the rest. And yet, she sacrificed her love for Naru to stand a chance with him once she 'staked her claim' in him, so to speak. This made her even more lonely than she already was, although she never showed anybody this. What made her feel even worse was that he left one day, without so much as even saying goodbye.

Without letting her show him how much she loved him. In a way, there was another feeling that accompanied Kitsune aside from anger at Keitaro's announcement.

Jealousy.

Envy.

Despite her social and out-going personality that had earned her many friends during her years at high school, it never particularly earned her many boyfriends. She was jealous of Mutsumi, since she would have a man who would walk around all ends of the Earth for her. A man that would always love her for who she was, and never her body. A man that would love her for the rest of his life. The Okinawan was lucky. After all, Kitsune never had a boyfriend for any longer than a few months the most. Most of these former boyfriends loved her for only one thing.

Her body.

That was the downside of having an attractive, desirable figure. Many of them took advantage of her strong liking for saké and often got her drunk so they could try to take advantage of her. Not that it always worked, though, much to their shock. Chances were that all it would normally take to deter them would be one swift, hard kick to the groin and they would be off like a rat up a drainpipe.

Still, at least she _did_ have _something_ that she could always rely on to be there for her whenever she needed it.

Alcohol.

Liquor.

Booze.

No matter what way she put it, it was always the same thing.

Bearing in mind the amount of alcohol she consumed on a daily basis, it was amazing that she never even considered the fact that she may be drinking a bit too much. But then again, alcohol was practically her only source of comfort. More often than not, it did the job that no person could do; make her forget all about her problems, feel as if all was right with the world, and at the same time fade into a blissful oblivion. At least until the next day. At the end of the day, all it provided was nothing more except empty, hollow comfort and solace. But at least it made all her problems disappear for a desired period of time.

But it didn't fill the hole in her heart caused by loneliness. She had trouble finding the right person, until Keitaro came along and became _kanrinin_ of the all-girls dormitory. Sure, she didn't have any particular romantic feelings for the hapless young man, but at least he was there for her whenever she needed wanted somebody to talk to about her own personal problems. He would have made the perfect catch; he was a _Toudaisei_, he inherited his grandmother's old inn, which would mean a lot of money. But above all, he was caring, innocent, and honest.

If only men of that same nature would come around more often, rather than just once in a blue moon.

Kitsune loved Keitaro in her own way. True, she could seem fairly two-faced towards him at the worst of times, in the fact that she often conned the _kanrinin_ out of money for saké or just money in general, and the fact that she never defended Keitaro or helped him explain any 'compromising' situations they happened to be in whenever Naru or Motoko were about to send him on a one-way flight into the stratosphere for god knows what reason they feel is necessary. But despite those flaws, she _did_ love Keitaro; fairly much as an older brother, as opposed to a possible romantic interest in the future. It was also true that she was - needless to say - angry after Keitaro admitted that he had fallen out of love with Naru and back into it's enchanting embrace again with Mutsumi. But she realised that she could not remain mad at solely him forever; after all, the way Naru had treated him over the course of two years, it wasn't actually surprising that this had happened sooner rather than later.

In fact, she had to admit that if a man she liked treated her like that, he would have had more or less the same thing coming, if not a bit worse.

But until she found her perfect partner, she would have to wait... and endure more loneliness at the same time.

* * *

**: _END CHAPTER FOUR_ :**

* * *

**: AUTHOR'S NOTES :**

Heh. Sorry for the delay in updating this. I ran a bit low on ideas for how to do this chapter. Not only that, but my brother accidentally deleted some of the stuff that was on here - including my own personal folder. Problem sorted, though - nothing that a little intervention from 'System Restore' couldn't do.

Before anyone asks, I don't know when the next chapter will be up... possibly a month or so. So I wouldn't be expecting of any updates anytime soon. Plus there's college to juggle as well.

Sorry if the date scene between Mutsumi and Keitaro seemed a bit... crap. I've not really been on a date myself, so I wouldn't have an idea where to begin.

As always, all feedback is welcome.

And now, time for an _omake_...

**

* * *

: OMAKE :

* * *

**

By now, the happy couple were in the middle of the pond, Keitaro relaxing the oars to let the boat float freely. Mutsumi was boring through his eyes with her own soft, chocolate brown ones, her trademark heart-warming smile never leaving her face for a moment.

"Isn't this romantic, Keitaro?" She asked, staring at him.

"H-_Hai_,"the _kanrinin_ replied, unable to meet her gaze. _Those eyes..._ he thought. _So beautiful. It's as if she is literally ordering me to enter her soul, rather than request..._

He was snapped out of his reverie by Mutsumi suddenly taking his face in both of her hands, an lascivious glimmer in her eye as she licked her lips in anticipation. Much to Keitaro's shock, she ripped her blouse open, exposing her ample bosom, supported only by her bra. She reached under her open blouse and behind her back to where the hook was.

"Now, let's get rid of this, shall we?"

Instead of undoing the clasp normally, she just ripped it off and discarded it in the clear waters of the pond. Grabbing Keitaro's hair, she wasted no time in lowering his face toward her sizeable breasts. From the other sides of the large pond, the only sounds that could be heard were Mutsumi's unabashed, animalistic screams of plea - **SCENE DELETED**

* * *

...Alright, so the omake was pretty crap. To any readers who were hoping for a slice of _hentai_ action,well... I'll let your imagination continue from where I left off. ;) 


	5. One Out, One In

**: Sakura Kisses :**

by

_- GlazedAndConfused -_

* * *

"..." - denotes speech.  
"(...)" - denotes whispering.  
_Italics_ denote thought and Japanese dialogue.

* * *

**_Chapter Five_ : **_One Out, One In

* * *

_

Motoko was sat on the washing deck of Hinata Sou, leant against the railings with her _katana_ placed harmlessly aside in it's sheath. She wiped a stray bead or two of sweat off her forehead with a spare towel, taking a brief break from her strict morning regime of _katas_. She looked up into the early morning sky, her sharpened senses and instincts told her that this day would be an ideal one for training. While she would much rather be back at her ancestral home in Kyoto - be it training alone out in the tranquility and comforting serenity of the nearby fields, or in the training halls with all the other Shinmei Ryu students in an environment she would feel very comfortable and familiar in - she figured that Hinata Sou was an adequate enough place. She could practice without distraction in the early morning, and she was around those she deemed close to her.

Every day, for as long as she could remember, she had been training like this. The same time every morning, afternoon and evening, without fail; not even so much as a minute or second after. She was more than willing to sacrifice everything she had in order to become a master swordswoman and emulate the feats that her elder sister, Tsuruko, had managed to achieve, if not do better. To some, it would seem that it was just a shame she couldn't put the same amount of effort into her education that she did into her swordsmanship. As far as Motoko was concerned, however, school was only a trivial matter that she needn't concern herself with; the only reason she ever bothered to turn up, be it on time or late, was because education was a strict legal requirement, and it would not look too good on her apparent unblemished record if she never bothered turning up at all. Her grades were average at best in all subjects except for History and Literature, where she seemed to be excelling. None of this mattered in the least to her, however; kendo was not a past-time hobby. School ended soon, whereas her lifestyle wouldn't. She had been raised by the way of the sword, raised as a warrior - why would she need to bother herself by socialising with classmates, keeping up with the latest fashion trends, or dating with similarly aged males and basically having a good time in general?

Males. Men.

Both of these words Motoko spoke with such hatred and venom. The only men she considered to be even the least bit honourable were dead and buried a long time ago, and were raised the same way as she was. The young swordswoman could never imagine herself finding someone who could even be compared to those she read about as part of her family's history; the modern day man, as far as she was concerned, was perverted, ill-mannered, and had nothing in mind except to ravage and corrupt the innocent body and mind of a defenceless young maiden, then boast about his conquests afterwards to his equally perverted friends, who would listen with the most rapt of attention. What would be the worth in seeking such disgusting, loathsome creatures like them?

But as much as she tried convincing herself that was the case, she found her mind gradually filling with doubt, her heart telling her that Keitaro was the exception to her rule; a rule which people of a regular upbringing - particularly men - would find to be illogical and flawed on all accounts. But why would he, of all people, be no different to any other man she'd ever encountered? It was scandalous that her heart even dared suggest this! Even wild dogs had more redeeming qualities and standards about their beings than that pathetic excuse of a man did; at least they didn't go around looking for excuses for why they had their hands or heads where they shouldn't be, namely on Naru's breasts or up Shinobu's skirt. Yes, he was a _Toudaisei_, she could give him praise for that - but it took him three years before that to get in, so he couldn't have been that bright in the first place! What Mutsumi could ever see in that fool of a _hentai_ was highly questionable; if there was something there, then either the Okinawan woman was blind, deluded, or she could see deeper within Keitaro than the rest of the tenants.

**_How typical of you_**, her subconscious cut in, ending her mental diatribe about the _kanrinin_'s bad points. **_You spend so much time thinking about his bad points - half of which aren't even his fault - that you completely fail to remember what he did for you and everyone else._**

_'What he did for me and everyone else'? Name one single thing that pervert has done for us ever since he came here that was any good, _her mind shot back, fiercely, as she began to carry on with her katas where she left off.

_(SWISH)_

_**Really, now. Is that the way to reward the fact that Keitaro was the only person who stood by you when you were issued the challenge by Tsuruko that time? Had it not been for his help, you would have been stuck in the lifestyle of a normal woman - a lifestyle which would not have suited you in the slightest, and you know it. Admit it, he is nowhere near as perverted or stupid as you and Naru claim he is.**_

_(SWISH)_

_Well, yes, I am most grateful for Urashima standing by my side when nobody else did. But nonetheless, my opinion of him as a pervert has not changed in the slightest; you claim he is not a pervert, but how do you explain his actions? Him constantly peeking on us in the hot springs to satisfy his perverted urges, not to mention groping either myself, Naru-sempai or the other tenants. His presence has been nothing but a curse on the once pure and innocent aura that once surrounded his place; this aura is now tainted. The sooner he leaves, the better - good riddance I say!_

_(SWISH)_

_**My explanation for his actions? Easy. He is not exactly the most co-ordinated person in the world; don't forget, you are nimble and well co-ordinated due to your training. You can't expect everyone to be as nimble and light-footed as you. He is merely clumsy. You think he likes being that way? How would you like it if you were in his shoes? He ends up in these positions where you and Naru attack him because of his clumsiness, or because of Kitsune tricking him. Have you ever stopped to consider that?**_

_(SWISH)_

_Well, I must concur that Kitsune's antics do play their role in his transgr --_

_(SWISH)_

_**Accidents.**_

_(SWISH)_

_-- accidents. What about him peeking on us in the hot springs, or when we are changing?_

_(SWISH)_

_**He has a poor sense of timing. Besides, it's not as if he hasn't knocked before. But what about when he's cleaning the hot springs for you all to use? Surely you cannot believe that he is a pervert merely for maintaining the cleanliness of the hot spring area. Face it, girl; he doesn't have an evil bone in his body. He doesn't have the heart to do so much as a quarter of the things you and Naru like to accuse him of.**_

_(SWISH)_

_Urashima is a male. Simple as._

_(SWISH)_

_**And that means what? Come on, surely you are not so shallow that you believe all men deserve to be tarred with the same brush. The evil men in this world are only in the minority; the majority are not perverted, but are merely seeking a partner to spend the rest of their life with, or are happily married family men who want nothing more than the best for their spouse and children. Keitaro certainly does not fall under the minority. Mutsumi can see that, as can Shinobu and Kitsune. Naru is beginning to open her eyes to this fact - and it's about time you did too, so why can't you?**_

Motoko sighed in resignation and sheathed her _katana_, sliding down the railings back into a seated position on the washing deck, the mental argument between her subconscious and her mind having rendered her unable to concentrate on anything. If only she could stop thinking about him. If only he would just pack up and leave, never to bother the tenants anymore.

If only he and Mutsumi never became a couple. This last thought in particular sent shivers down the young swordswoman's spine, as well as making her face flush a slight shade of red. _These feelings..._ Motoko thought, placing a hand on her heart as it started beating faster. _Is this... jealousy, that I am feeling? Am I really jealous of Mutsumi-san?_ She shook her head vigorously, cursing herself for ever believing that. Her? Jealous? Of Mutsumi? For being all lovey dovey with that low-life? Impossible! She was Motoko Aoyama, heiress to the Shinmei Ryu school of kendo; the day she ever became jealous of the Okinawan for being the boyfriend of the resident pervert would be the day she willingly surrender her livelihood as a swordswoman and become a nun.

On second thought, becoming a nun didn't sound half bad to her... at least then, she thought, she wouldn't have to put up with his antics and violations of her privacy.

But the more she dwelled on the matter of Keitaro being an exception to her rule, the more it seemed to hit her in the face; the more it seemed to be true. It wasn't as if he meant to be in the wrong places at the wrong times, nor did Kitsune, Su or Sara seem to help with their constant trickery. What with his bad luck and poor sense of timing, she wouldn't be too surprised to hear that it had all been the work of a foul, inhuman spirit who had cursed him since the day he was born. Yep, that sounded logical. She also had to admit that he was noble spirited, no matter how much she tried to convince herself she was nothing but trouble. After all, what other normal person would accept the blame for all the things he was accused of, and do nothing to stop the barrage of punches, kicks and slashes? At least he had a sense of morality, that much could be said.

Motoko growled in frustration at her ever-contradictory thoughts and feelings about the _kanrinin_, and stood up briskly, picking up her _katana_ as she did so. At this rate, she would never get any more practice done. As she made her way through the door and down the steps to her room, one last thought was running through her head.

_Even in my thoughts you haunt me so, Urashima._

* * *

In the _kanrinin_'s room, Mutsumi was slowly beginning to rouse herself from her peaceful sleep, her eyes gently fluttering open. Seeing the serene look on her boyfriend's face, she smiled gently, experiencing the same feelings that she had when she woke up in the Urashima man's arms every morning; peace, security, comfort, closeness, love and relief - relieved at the fact that she was not just dreaming that she was lying in his bed every night in his arms, as well as the fact that he actually chose her over Naru. While she knew this seemed to be a very shallow thought since they were both good friends, she was not about to let herself surrender Keitaro back to the auburn-haired girl; not now, not after she had found all of the things she wanted to experience with him. As far as she was concerned, it was Naru's loss, not Keitaro's. 

Regaining most of her bearings, she noticed that her face was only a matter of inches away from Keitaro's. Those soft, warm, tender lips, looking more inviting than anything. A light flush adorned her face as she realised that she could feel his warm breath on her own lips, making her spine chill slightly. She also noticed the position the two were in; his right arm around her waist, and her left arm around his. Her long, flowing, silky-soft strands of hair were sprawled out in no particular direction, a few of these strands resting on the side of Keitaro's face.

The beautiful Okinawan woman was snapped out of her thoughts by the sight of Keitaro gently stirring in his sleep before opening his eyes, grimacing as the early morning sunlight spilled into the room and into his eyes through the window. She could not help but stare into his warm, chocolate-brown orbs as he woke up; those orbs that filled her with the most overwhelming sense of security whenever she would look into them. Both of them stared at each other for seconds that seemed to drag on like hours, their heart rates and pulses beginning to go a bit faster. Neither of them looked like they wanted to move away from this impromptu embrace, not wanting to spoil the moment they were both sharing.

"G-Good morning... Mutsumi," Keitaro finally spoke, a blush spreading across his face as he noticed how close in proximity their faces were to one another. While this was a regular occurrence ever since they both made their relationship official, the fact that the slightly older woman was more than willing to sleep in the same bed as him every night and insist that she slept naked as it was more comfortable for her was still nonetheless enough to make him go as red as a beetroot.

"_Ara_... good morning, Keitaro," Mutsumi replied, her voice nothing more than a hushed whisper.

Several more moments had passed by before the Urashima man spoke up again, noticing the time. "We'd best be getting cleaned up. Shinobu-_chan_ will have breakfast ready soon."

"_Hai_." Reluctantly, the two began to slip out of their embrace, Mutsumi standing up slowly and making her way towards the bathroom, not bothering to put on anything to conceal her modesty. Keitaro couldn't help but stare at the Okinawan beauty; his eyes wandering all over her slim and highly desireable physique, drinking in and admiring her milky white, flawless skin, body and slender legs. Staring at her like this made him think just how lucky he was to have her as a girlfriend.

...he also felt a certain part of his anatomy rise up in agreement with the sight before him.

_Whoa, down boy!_ He mentally yelled at his anatomy, who seemed to take no notice whatsoever, even after Mutsumi walked out of the room. _Damn. I think a cold shower is in order after seeing that..._ He rose from his futon, rolling it up and putting it in his wardrobe for later, trying vainly to conceal his current state of excitement. He then walked over to the chest of drawers and opened the top draw to pull out some clothes. After pulling out a pair of jeans, he noticed something small and metallic, glimmering in the light. His curiosity piqued, he picked it up, revealing it to be a heart-shaped locket. _Hmm. Must be Mutsumi's_. His assumption was proven right, as he noticed the initials "M.O." carved in a very fancy, expensive-looking style of writing on the front of the locket. Opening it up with care, he saw two pictures of him in there; one of him from when they both first met in Okinawa, and the other which looked fairly recent. He felt a light blush reappear on his cheeks as he saw these pictures, smiling fondly. Closing the locket back up, he made sure to put it back where he found it, picking out a plain, non-descript shirt.

_I love you, Mutsumi._

At that moment, the said woman walked back into the room, still having done nothing to solve the issue her current state of undress; this sight made Keitaro divebomb towards the box of tissues, feeling all the blood in his head suddenly rush to his nose as he saw Mutsumi's bosom and 'lower half'. He turned away, not only to stop himself from provoking a sudden eruption of the maroon liquid, but also to help preserve the slightly older woman's modesty. "M-M-M-Mutsumi! _Gomen_! I didn't know you were still... still..." The Urashima man's face went redder than humanly possible as he found himself unable to finish that sentence.

Mutsumi giggled mirthfully, her mouth held up to her mouth. "Don't be silly, Keitaro; I told you before, I do not mind you seeing me like this at all." Her mouth curved upwards into a cute, disarming smile. "Would you like to join me in the bath for a quick wash, just before we go to breakfast?"

Keitaro tried frantically to prevent the impending eruption of his nostrils as the images of him and Mutsumi in the open-air bath, both nude, flooded his mind like the bursting of a dam. "W-Where? My tub or t-the open-air bath?"

"Wherever; your choice."

"My tub," Keitaro replied, without a second thought. He really could not do with the girls wandering in on him and Mutsumi while they were both having a bath, and inevitably being knocked into orbit by either Naru or Motoko. With that thought, it wasn't himself he was concerned about, rather the grilling and questioning Mutsumi would receive afterwards. Not that he'd have any reason to worry about that; time and time again in the past, she has handled herself in those questions quite adeptly, answering questions honestly, albeit sometimes subconsciously enough to give people the wrong idea.

"Of course," Mutsumi replied, her smile still present. She held out her hand towards Keitaro after he got a spare towel. "Shall we go?"

Keitaro took the hand offered to him without a word, still blushing as they both walked out to his wooden tub on one of the balconies.

_I guess I really should be used to this..._ Keitaro thought, embarrassedly, _so why aren't I? I still nearly faint at the sight of Mutsumi's... boldness..._ He felt a stirring in his loins again, as the image of Mutsumi standing before him, without a stitch of clothing on her person, made it's presence within the deepest recesses of his mind.

Unknown to him, Mutsumi had caught a glimpse of this 'metamorphasis' as it were out the corner of her eye, and felt her cheeks grow hot at the sight. _Looks like Keitaro... finds me desireable,_ she thought, mentally smirking with pride.

* * *

"_Ara_, Keitaro..." Mutsumi sighed, her eyes fluttering in relaxation and pleasure under the tender, yet clumsy, ministrations of Keitaro's soapy hands as they roamed over her back. "That's the spot." 

The _kanrinin_ merely nodded fiercely and gulped in response, unable to tear his eyes away from the beautiful goddess that sat before him, tracing the soft, flawless skin of her back lightly with his hands and fingers as he finished off washing it for her. Once he had finished a few moments later, he was no longer running his fingers up and down her back to wash; it was more to explore the fine feeling of her skin even further, tracing every square area, from her shoulders to her slim, slender sides. Feeling Mutsumi shivering and hearing her moan quietly in pleasure snapped him out of his reverie, as he took a bucket of warm water and dumped it over her person, washing away the suds of shampoo and soap.

"Now it's your turn," the Okinawan spoke, gleefully clapping her hands as she got off the stool and gently sat her boyfriend down as he followed her instructions with a meek nod.

All of his worries and fears of the girls walking on them were soon forgotten, as his brain literally melted the moment he felt Mutsumi's warm, gentle and soapy hands on his back, starting their ministrations, making him moan in quiet satisfaction. For extra measure, she leaned forward and placed a feather-light kiss on the back of his neck, sending goosebumps and chills flying up and down his spine; an action which made her smirk teasingly inside. _I think he liked that,_ she thought smugly, with the slightest intentions of teasing him even further; intentions she decided not to act upon... at least until later in the day when they were alone again.

"Mmm," Keitaro hummed, closing his eyes and gently leaning his head back in bliss. "That feels really good, Mutsumi."

"I'm glad you like it," Mutsumi replied, beaming, the happiness in her voice there for the _kanrinin_ to hear. She had always wanted to share moments like this with the former _ronin_; just him and her alone, in the bath, washing each other. In fact, many of her dreams consisted of this kind of moment. The Okinawan blushed as she recalled the end of one particular not-so-innocent dream, which ended with her and Keitaro in the tub, the look of intense, hungry emotion and animalistic lust for one another clear to see in their eyes, followed by the most intimate and steamy kiss they had shared yet, aroused further by the steam that filled the mild air. Kissing turned to making out, making out had turned to petting, and making out had led to intense lovemaking. Shaking her head vigorously to clear her head of these thoughts, Mutsumi began to concentrate once more on washing Keitaro's back.

After a few moments of washing, Mutsumi dumped the same bucket of warm water over the Urashima man, removing the soap from his back. She stood beside him and took his hand, leading him over to the bathing tub. The said tub had been modified so there was room for about four people. Pointless when one thought about it, but it made sense since it would mean that Keitaro and Mutsumi would have more room to move around freely whenever they wanted to while bathing. Mutsumi motioned Keitaro to climb in first, then followed him, settling herself between his legs and resting the naked flesh of her back against the flesh of his chest; an intimate action which threatened to make the _kanrinin_'s nose erupt with blood and babble incoherently.

"Mut... su... mi...?" he squeaked out in a high-pitched voice, making the older woman giggle.

"I just want to be held by you while we bathe," she simply stated, taking his hands in her's and wrapping his arms around her, not wanting to be away from his loving and caring aura for even a minute. "Is that okay?"

"O-Of course," he replied, relaxing as he held the woman of his affections in his arms. The two then chose to sit in complete silence, neither of them wanting to ruin the mood. The only audible sounds that could be heard were the lapping of the warm water against the finished wood of the tub and one another's soft breathing as Mutsumi absentmindedly drew non-descript patterns on his hand and forearm with her finger, staring into space. Keitaro was rendered immobile; frozen by the proximity between them both in an area that was small in comparison to the open-air bath that was literally a stone's throw from the balcony, and intoxicated by the fragrance of the shampoo used on her just washed hair. _Lavender-scented shampoo,_ Keitaro absentmindedly noted.

Mutsumi leaned her head back so the back of it was resting on Keitaro's shoulder, staring into his eyes intently. The only sound she could hear now was the now quickened beating of her heart resounding in her eardrums as she found herself in the same position she woke up in earlier that morning; her lips within millimetres of his, their warm breaths caressing one another's lips tantalisingly. She decided to take the initiative this time around and closed the distance between their faces, sealing his lips with her's in a soft and gentle kiss, which Keitaro reciprocated. The soft smooching sounds were all that could be heard from the tub, before they decided to deepen the kiss; their tongues finding, tasting and caressing one another gently. Blanking out their surroundings, all the young couple focused on was one another; nothing else.

Breaking the kiss momentarily, but not the embrace they were both sat in, Mutsumi swivelled around so she was straddling Keitaro's legs, sliding her arms around his neck and holding him closer to her. Resting her forehead against his for a few moments, she kissed the tip of his nose and then leaned in towards his ear. "I love you, Keitaro Urashima; with every fibre of my being," she whispered, a shy smile on her face as her hot breath made itself known against his ear, eliciting a shudder from the young man.

Keitaro leaned back so he could stare into the beautiful Okinawan's face, then gently kissed her on the lips and leaned forward once again so he could whisper into her ear. "I love you too, Mutsumi Otohime, with all my heart." The Urashima man then leaned back again and kissed her soft, warm lips again. Nothing more was said between the two until Keitaro had noticed how much time had passed.

"We should be going down for breakfast," Keitaro spoke. "Coming?"

Mutsumi's only reply was a slow nod, reluctantly standing up off his lap and climbed out of the tub, drying herself and putting on her clothes as Keitaro did the same.

* * *

For the past two weeks, breakfast had not been as tense an affair as it had been, ever since Keitaro and Mutsumi both declared their love for one another to the tenants. While Kitsune still held some degree of bitterness towards the _kanrinin_ for the way the news was broken to Naru about the said relationship, she had to admit that she could not remain mad at him over it, as Naru played her part in her own loss aswell by continuously driving him away, even after he had admitted his feelings for her that time in the hospital when he broke his leg. Despite the resumed civility between everybody as regards to Keitaro and Mutsumi, Motoko's sharpened and honed instincts told her that there was a layer of discomfort hanging in the air, and that something was bound to happen. 

Her instincts were proven to be correct, as Naru cleared her throat in order to get everybody's attention. Once she had succeeded in doing so, she stood up from her position at the table, making sure that all eyes were on her. "I would just like to say..." the auburn-haired girl started, taking a nervous breath before she was calmed by Kitsune secretively holding her hand under the table, as if to provide her with the support for what she would have to say. "I would like to tell you all," she restarted, thankful for her fox-eyed friend's gesture of support, "that I will be leaving Hinata Sou for a few days."

"WHAT?" Came the sudden cacophony of questions and exclamations concerning the matter that had just arisen.

"But why, Naru-_sempai_?"

"Will you be coming back, Naru?"

"Auuu, what are you going to do?"

"Please, everybody," Naru stated, raising her hands as if to halt the disorganised flow of questions heading towards her. "One at a time."

"Naru-_sempai_," Motoko spoke up, "why are you leaving?"

"I just need to leave for a few days. At the moment, my feelings are all mixed up. It feels like I don't know what I really want, so I'm going back home just to get my head around things."

"This is the cause of Urashima, isn't it?" the young swordswoman spat, turning her attention to the kanrinin as she fingered the hilt of her sword in a manner that caused the said person to gulp through fear of his own safety; when Motoko's hand even so much as brushed past the hilt, he knew that he would be in for some pain. As she saw the soft, yet determined, chocolate-brown orbs of Mutsumi focused on her, however, she remembered the promise she had made to the Okinawan woman that she would not hurt him neither verbally nor physically, and bit back the verbal barb she had intended on directing towards Keitaro.

"No," Naru replied, placing a hesitant hand onto the young swordswoman's arm to prevent her from flying off the handle without hearing both sides of the story first. A wave of guilt spread over her as she considered this. _How ironic,_ she thought. _Here's me, trying to stop Motoko from harming Keitaro for something that wasn't his fault, yet I was one of the first people to have flew off the handle for misinterpreting or not listening to his side of the story. Funny how these things always come full circle._ She shook this thought out of her head. "I won't go into detail about it now. Maybe when I come back, I will, but now is not the time."

Motoko bowed deeply out of respect and understanding for the elder girl. "I understand, Naru-_sempai_," she spoke, moving her hand away from her sword. "Whatever choice you make, I hope it all turns out well for you."

The auburn-haired girl allowed the slightest of smiles to spread across her face. "Thanks... Motoko." After a few moments of awkward silence, she turned her attention to Keitaro - who flinched upon meeting eye contact with her, fearing the worst by impulse - and gave him a soft look as if to reassure him; as if to say 'don't worry - I'll be back'. With that, Naru placed her dishes in the kitchen sink, and went back to the table. "Well... I guess I'd better start packing my stuff." She then exited the kitchen and went upstairs to her room, with Kitsune deciding to go up with her.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" 

Naru zipped up her bags, having finished packing up her belongings and anything else she thought would have been necessary to take back home with her. The auburn-haired girl's room was now practically empty and barren, most of her belongings having been packed into four separate bags. She looked up at Kitsune, smiling at her in an attempt to ease her mind. "Don't worry, Kitsune," she spoke, patting her long-time friend on the shoulder reassuringly. "I'll be alright once I get home. Besides, it's not as if I'm leaving forever," she continued, allowing herself a mirthful chuckle, "I will be back. I just need a bit of time by myself, you know."

The sandy haired woman appeared to be sated, nodding her head appreciatively. Opening her normally slitted eyes slightly, she walked up to Naru and placed an arm around her shoulder. "Well, at least give me a call when you get back home, yeah?" she asked, smiling. "I'll either be drinking myself silly or worrying my tits off about you getting home safely if you don't call."

Naru chuckled again. No matter what the circumstances, she knew she could always rely on Kitsune to cheer her up whenever she needed it. Sure, the fox-eyed woman did have her annoying side when it came to probing her about relationships amongst other things, but with all that aside, she knew that Kitsune would always be there for her whenever she needed somebody to confide in, without having to be fearful of her secrets and feelings being divulged to others.

Nor did she offer that confidence at a price; something which she was very thankful of when taking Keitaro's previous experiences in having Kitsune as an agony aunt into consideration. The poor sap ended up having his entire savings account emptied, or at least half of it spent on _saké_ just to appease the fox-eyed woman.

The fox-eyed woman drew her friend into an embrace which Su would have been proud of, one which was reciprocated by Naru the moment she got her bearings - and breath, praying that a couple of ribs hadn't been cracked in the process - back. The two stayed like this for a few moments, saying nothing to ruin the moment.

"I'll miss you, girl." Kitsune spoke.

"I'll miss you too," Naru replied, lowering her arms. "Don't worry, I'll call you when I get back."

"Walk you to the station?" the fox-eyed woman offered.

Naru beamed brightly. "Thought you'd never ask." With that, the two made their way down stairs.

* * *

"Naru-_san_." 

Those two simple words, spoken as soft as satin, yet with a lot of determination behind it, were enough to halt Naru and Kitsune before they could walk through the front door, the former with her bags packed and over her shoulders. Turning around, the auburn-haired girl and the older fox-eyed vixen found Mutsumi standing by the lounge area, slowly walking up to them; a look of concern on her face. Naru found herself shuddering inwardly at the expression on the Okinawan woman's face, but nonetheless retained her composure. "Can I help you, Mutsumi-_san_?" she spoke, a friendly smile on her face.

Mutsumi's face retained it's worried visage. "I cannot help but think that the reason for you leaving, even though it is only temporary, is because of me and Keitaro getting together. Is this true?"

Naru opened her mouth to speak, but closed it before any sound came out, sparing a sideward glance at Kitsune, who nodded in the affirmative. Her shoulders slumped, and a forlorn expression came over her face, further increasing Mutsumi's concern. "..._hai_. You're right."

"I thought as much." Mutsumi walked over to Naru and stood directly in front of her, clasping both of the auburn-haired girl's hands in both of her's. "You do not have to leave on our account, you know. If you want, me and Keitaro could always take some time off away from here so you can stay."

Naru shook her head sadly, a compressed smile forming on her face. "That's kind of you to say, but..." The smile disappeared as she turned to face away from the older woman, unable to make eye contact. "...how can I stay here, knowing you two are a couple, when I still have romantic feelings for him?" She then turned to stare into Mutsumi's eyes. "I'm really happy that you have found happiness with him," she spoke, honestly, "but I can't be expected to get over my feelings without wishing it was me who was with him whenever I see you two getting intimate and affectionate. I think it's for the best that I leave for a while. I'll get over my feelings for him a lot quicker if I have time on my own to think, without any distractions."

Mutsumi nodded her head in understanding, her worried look having eased a little. "I understand, Naru-_san_," she replied, a friendly smile forming on her face. "Come back whenever you feel ready to do so; me and Keitaro will welcome you back with open arms, as will everybody else." Staring into her fellow _Toudaisei_'s eyes, she unconsciously found her face nearing Naru's until slowly, their lips met. Although it was the most awkward of kisses, Mutsumi placed every ounce of friendship she felt for Naru into that single kiss, while the auburn-haired girl just froze completely, not moving a single muscle until the watermelon-loving woman pulled back a few seconds later.

Kitsune was also frozen into a state of shock, her eyes widened to such an extent that her eyes could have bulged out of her socket at any moment, and her cheeks feeling as if somebody had lit a bonfire inside them.

"M-M-Mutsumi-_san_?" Naru gasped, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed brightly, placing a hand to her lips.

"_Ara_..." the Okinawan woman placed a hand on the side of her head, closing her eyes sheepishly. "I guess what they say is true; old habits really do die hard..."

Naru couldn't help but stifle a giggle at her friend's unique, if not completely misinterpreting, way of expressing friendship for somebody. Noticing the time, Naru hastily picked up her bags and hefted them over her shoulders. She gave Mutsumi one last look, smiling fondly at her friend before opening the front door. "Well, I guess I'll see you whenever."

Mutsumi nodded. "_Hai_. Take care, Naru-_san_. Give your family my regards."

"I will."

The Okinawan woman watched on as Naru and Kitsune both walked down the megalithic stone steps, with one thought running through her head.

_I just hope you decide what's best for yourself..._

* * *

Black. A colour that symbolises darkness, the unpredictable, and represents the shadows with it's concealed nature. This was perhaps the colour that matched the personality of a particular Kanako Urashima the most; unreadable, stoic, and most of all, a complete paradox of a person. Her outward natural beauty was a complete betrayal to the mind that worked within her. Her eyes, an ominously dark shade of claret, possessed a certain factor of intimidation which would work wonders when trying to squeeze information out of a person, or make somebody back down from a possible fight through unspoken words; this, coupled with the fact that she had trained for years in the special Urashima style of _jiu-jitsu_, meant that she was a person that one would be wise enough not to cross paths with. 

In fact, the Urashima girl even took a little pride in her intimidating nature. It wasn't as if she needed to stand on the rooftops and yell to the public below about just how frightening she could be; the glint in her eyes that provided an unspoken threat did more than back that up, as did the fact that any unfortunate men who had the balls to try chatting her up can testify that she certainly packed more than a punch, as they were always on the receiving end of one of her family's refined attacks for one reason or another.

Besides, there was room for only one man in her life. As far as she was concerned, no other man could even hold a stick to this very man - Keitaro. Her feelings for him were most certainly buoyed by the fact that they were not even related by blood, only by name; this would avoid all talk about the taboo that was incest. Knowing that she had finally located the whereabouts of her elder brother after so many years of painstaking searching made her giddy at the knees and near enough made her heart melt like a schoolgirl with a massive crush, but to avoid any commotion she would have to resist merely running into the building like a bull in a china shop, as hard as it may be.

After a few moments of contemplation, she finally decided on a way to go into the old building without arousing suspicion; stealth infiltration, a technique she had mastered at an early age for gaining things for her own benefit. Even she had to admit that it was possibly the best way of going about things.

_Oniichan, I've waited all these years to see you again,_ she thought, a look of steel cast in her eyes with her face locked into a determined scowl, _but now, I'm finally here..._

* * *

_**: END CHAPTER FIVE :**_

* * *

**: AUTHOR'S NOTES :**

My my, an update for this has been long overdue, hasn't it? Ahem. Anyway,I hope this chapter is enough to satisfy you all; it should do, standing at just over 7,200 words long... :P

Not really much to say, except that I'm off for Christmas until January 4th... some holiday that is; not very long, is it. _(Sighs)_. Anyway, I also have an idea for a one-shot in mind; you can read about it in my profile. :)

And now, time for another _omake_... for those of you with even the slightest of kinky sides. Enjoy. :P

* * *

**: OMAKE :**

* * *

_Whoa, down boy! _Keitaro mentally yelled at his anatomy, who seemed to take no notice whatsoever, even after Mutsumi walked out of the room. _Damn. I think a cold shower is in order after seeing that..._ He rose from his futon, rolling it up and putting it in his wardrobe for later, trying vainly to conceal his current state of excitement. He then walked over to the chest of drawers and opened the top draw to pull out something to wear, but noticed something odd underneath the neat pile of clothes, which appeared to be a piece of rope. Pulling it out, his eyes widened with the more he saw of the object. His face flushed a bright shade of red as he pulled it all the way out, revealing it to be a whip. 

_A w-whip?_ Keitaro thought incredulously, frantically pulling the drawer out of it's place and throwing his clothes out to see what else was in there. He froze completely as he spotted more erotic-looking objects; ones he knew for a fact definitely weren't his. By this point, his mind was racing at a thousand miles a minute, his eyebrows twitching and hands trembling violently. _Okay, there's a leather catsuit... ball gag... glacé cherries... whipped cream... knee-high boots with stiletto heels... a collapsible bondage rack? WHAT THE HELL IS ALL THIS STUFF DOING IN MY DRAW?_ The mental cacophony of disbelieving voices in his head stopped as he noticed a shadow appear over him, blocking off the light.

"_Ara_, Keitaro..."

Keitaro's fears - or rather, fantasies - were confirmed, as the shadow looming over him turned out to be that of Mutsumi's. He noticed that the Okinawan had her hands clasped innocently in front of her, yet the gleam in her eyes - which he had only seen once before, shuddering as he recalled what happened afterwards - completely betrayed the look of innocent ignorance on her face.

"It appears that you have found the... collection... Kitsune-_san_ lent me some time ago." She leaned forward enough to give Keitaro a good view down her blouse of her cleavage, the tip of her nose almost touching his.

"Erm... ah... um... that is..." The _kanrinin_ was unable to make a single coherent string of words as he was torn between staring Mutsumi in the eye, and staring down her cleavage. Once again, he felt a particular part of his anatomy spring into life, very much liking the sight before Keitaro's eyes.

Mutsumi licked her lips, slowly yet hungrily; the smile on her face making Keitaro's blood turn to fire. "Don't worry; I was planning on showing you this sometime later, but you got there before me. Now, let's try some of these... 'toys'... out now, shall we?"

Keitaro's and Mutsumi's combined screams of pleasure and sheer lust echoed throughout the halls of Hinata Sou, loud enough for passers by below to hear...


End file.
